Match Report from the Swindon Advertiser

MARINE NEED A LIFT AFTER DERBY DEFEAT

Matt Robinson and Gary Horgan face the biggest test of their fledgling managerial careers as they try to pick their Supermarine side up from a morale-sapping loss to chief Southern League rivals Chippenham.

Both sides have been flirting with the Premier Division play-off positions since the turn of the year but the Bluebirds looked like the only side capable of making the top five as they strolled to a 3-1 win at Hardenhuish Park last night. Nick Stanley’s penalty had brought Marine level but Lewis Powell and a spot kick from former Marine favourite Alan Griffin finished the visitors off.

On the back of a deflating draw at crisis club Halesowen, the Marine managerial duo are in danger of losing the early impetus their appointment sparked. Robinson said: “It’s a disappointing result because of the rivalry between the two clubs and the fact we are in quite similar positions in the league. “We didn’t want to lose points against them. “We lacked a little bit of belief to be honest and the last couple of performances now haven’t been as good as the three or four before that - it’s something we need to nip in the bud.”

Match Report from a Chippenham perspective...

Alan Griffin (pictured) scored twice against his old club as Chippenham Town got the better of local rivals Swindon Supermarine ON Tuesday night. The Bluebirds went ahead with the first real chance of the game on 12 minutes, with Griffin glancing a header past Marine keeper James Rae from Ashley Williams’ cross. Sam Allison ghosted in at the far post and headed an effort into the side netting from defender Nathan Rudge’s long free-kick before the visitors struck the woodwork at the other end. Luke Hopper fed the ball to midfielder Ben Wells and his low shot struck the outside of the right-hand post.

Early in the second-half, Rae got down well to gather Powell’s header before the striker curled a free-kick into the arms of the Marine goalie shortly afterwards. As the second period wore on the visitors began to see more of the ball and in the 57th minute they were handed a way back into the game when Bluebirds keeper Chris Snoddy brought down Mitchell Bryant in the box. Nick Stanley stepped up to take the kick and drilled a left-footed effort to Snoddy’s right and into the bottom corner.

Powell was celebrating ten minutes later when he scored the second for Chippenham. Nathan Rudge found himself in an advanced position and showed some smart close control to sidestep a number of challenges before laying the ball into the path of Powell. The striker gave Rae no chance with a spectacular curling effort, which nestled into the side-netting. Griffin flashed a header just wide when he connected with James Guthrie’s cross and on 75 minutes, the Bluebirds made the game safe. Williams floated a ball into the box from the right-hand side and front man Griffin went down under the challenge of Marine’s Danny Allen. The Chippenham striker picked himself up to fire home the spot-kick and claim his second of the night. Adie Mings’s side came close to a fourth late on when Scott Lye played in Powell but his effort was deflected narrowly wide.