HELLENIC LEAGUE: Worthians hit by daylight robbery (From Swindon Advertiser)

HELLENIC LEAGUE: Worthians hit by daylight robbery

8:40am Monday 8th February 2010

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Highworth Town may have secured an important 1-0 away victory at Ardley United on Saturday, but the players still went away from the fixture empty-handed.

While the first half of the Hellenic Premier clash was taking place on the pitch, thieves broke into the players and officials’ dressing rooms, stealing mobile phones, wallets and personal belongings.

Manager Dave Webb, no stranger to such circumstance after the furore surrounding the theft of the Worthians’ finances earlier in the campaign, admitted that the events somewhat tainted a well-earned three points.

“It’s happened whilst we were out on the pitch, the dressing rooms have been ransacked,” he said.

“Usually the changing rooms at Ardley are locked but maybe they weren’t and a lot of stuff has been taken.

“Even though it was a great result, it was not the best of days.”

Matt Bennett’s 30th-minute effort separated the sides, netting Highworth their second consecutive win, and Webb was thrilled with the individual performances of his side.

“It was a fantastic display,” he said.

“We’ve gone to a team who are pretty formidable at home, kept a clean sheet and got the win.

“Adam Miller in goal was terrific, and Danny Hilder was exceptional as well.”

Webb reserved special mention for the cameo appearance of new signing Blaine Fitzgerald - his latest recruit from Shrivenham.

And the Highworth boss is hopeful that, with Fitzgerald’s addition, he will no longer have the need to add to his squad this season.

“Blaine came on for half an hour and did really well,” he said.

“He showed me that I have got a really good striker, and now that he’s here I shouldn’t have to make any more signings.”

Highworth now embark on a peculiar spell of five consecutive away games, leading Webb to comment once again on the scheduling of the Hellenic League programme.

The Recreation Ground chief called on league officials to review the structuring of the fixture list last month during the region’s bout of postponements, and this new scenario had given Webb cause to speak his mind for a second time.

“We’ve got a load of games on the road now, and we’ve got to go to some difficult places in that time,” he said.

“Now our Saturday fixture at Pegasus Juniors has been moved to a Tuesday night as well, it is not ideal at all.

“But the team is playing well, we need to keep it going and not let it stop.

“Every game is a tough game, but the confidence in the side is good.”

Fairford Town suffered defeat against relegation strugglers Hook Norton.

Dave Buckwell and Pete Moulder had given Hook a 2-0 cushion before Pete Griffiths pulled one back for the visitors. Shrivenham’s worrying losing run continued at the hands of Oxford City Nomads, who went into a 2-0 lead through Ian Roper and Ollie Lynch before new signing.

Alex Green grabbed a late consolation but Mark Love and Alan Dyton’s side slipped to another loss.

Wootton Bassett Town extended their remarkable unbeaten league run to 14 games and almost five months with an unconventional 2-1 win at Letcombe on Saturday.

Centre-back Chris Horan gave Bassett the lead, before Letcombe pegged their visitors back midway through the second period.

But with time running out, 18-year-old Fraser Joyce popped up to nod home the winner and propel his team into the top four.

After the game, Bassett manager Dave Turner conceded that the better side had lost the encounter, but praised his charges for all their endeavour and commitment to the cause during the recent adverse weather - action which has paid off in their recent run of results.

“Letcombe were probably the better side during the game,” said Turner.

“I feel a bit sorry for them really, with all the injuries they’ve had and for us to win as we did.

“But I’m really pleased for the lads as well. They’ve had no football in six weeks, and then to come back and play three games in a week and get the results to keep us in the top places is terrific.”

Turner is enthused by the atmosphere surrounding his squad at present, and insists that that self-belief and motivation is a principle ingredient in Bassett’s lengthy run of form.

“There is a great feeling about the dressing room at the moment,” he said.

“It is one of the best, if not the best dressing room that I’ve ever been involved with.”

Such a substantial unbeaten stretch is always bound to attract attention, and whilst Turner is loving the feeling of being noticed he is well aware of the potential pitfalls of a team believing their own hype.

Therefore he has avoided delving into the record books to find out how close his current outfit are to forging a place for themselves in the club’s history books.

“Part of me wants to have a search around and find out, it has definitely crossed my mind,” he said.

“But I don’t want to add extra pressure on the players, so I wouldn’t want them to know.

“It’s the old saying of just taking one game at a time.”

Nevertheless Turner knows that remaining undefeated since September 12 has made other sides sit up and take notice of Bassett.

“I remember being at Pewsey when Paul Burke took his team at Bassett on a 13-game unbeaten streak, and I looked at them and thought that that was incredible,” he said.

“We’ve gone past that now and I can’t fault the players one bit, they have given everything for me this season.”

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