ROYAL Wootton Bassett coach Alan Low says Saturday’s victory over Banbury has shown how far his side has come.

They returned from Oxfordshire with a 15-10 triumph in the third-versus-second clash as Dan Hale and Chris Patterson both bagged tries.

Battling against a fierce first-half wind Bassett found themselves behind 7-3 at the interval with just a Troy Cusack penalty to show.

Hale took advantage of a fine Cusack offload to put the visitors in front, but it took Patterson’s score – converted by Cusack – to make sure of the win once and for all.

“It was a cracking win for us to go up there,” Low said. “Banbury are a well-respected side that have been going consistently well in our league for a number of years.

“We’ve always had some really strong, good games with them over the years. They gave us a bit of a welcoming to the league when we first got up and we had a tonking up there.

“It’s our first ever win at Banbury, and the boys played very, very well. I don’t think the scoreline gave the performance the justice it deserved.

“The first half of the game they only had two entries into our 22, the first one that they scored from and that was on the 35th minute.

“For us that was up the hill and against a very strong wind as well, so to control the game like we did that first half was just fantastic.”

Victory made sure Bassett extended their advantage over Banbury in second spot, and the promotion play-off place that would bring, while also keeping tabs on leaders Old Centralians.

Not that Low and his squad spend too much time looking at the end of season scenarios just yet.

“For us, we’ve said we want to concentrate on each game as it comes,” he said.

“We haven’t discussed promotion too much in-house to be honest. We want to try and get out and win every game that we can.

“Banbury is one for the players that have been involved for a few years that’s a tough place to go.

“It’s that point we said that if the squad is developing the way it is, these are the games we’ve got to start winning.

“Banbury are very strong at home and over the last few seasons lost probably less than a handful of games at home.

“To get up and win up there was absolutely brilliant.”

Elsewhere, Swindon’s high-flying clash at Southern Counties South leaders Grove was postponed at the weekend, while Swindon College Old Boys’ visit to Thatcham also fell foul of the weather.