Wootton Bassett Town 0 Slimbridge 5

A FIVE-GOAL battering of relegation-haunted Wootton Bassett Town at Ryelands Way in a spirited performance all over the pitch from Slimbridge has kept things bubbling at the top of the Hellenic Premier Division.

Two goals from midfielder Tom Radcliffe, having his best game to date in a Slimbridge shirt after missing over half the season following injury in a pre-season match, sparked off a compelling afternoon of good football, only quelled by the afternoon heat in the later stages. Further goals came from Mike Symons, Matt Green and Julian Freeman.

The visitors took the lead on four minutes when Green made a deft layback on the edge of the Town area for Radcliffe to drive low through a crowded box.

Town were having difficulty in midfield with James Darby and Radcliffe pushing the play almost continuously into the Town box.

With 38 minutes gone the Slimbridge lead doubled and it was Radcliffe again, putting in a strong looping shot that clipped a defender on its way into the net, with Gill vainly stretching. Moments later Darby rattled the crossbar with a header from a long diagonal free kick from Fred Ward, before a third goal arrived four minutes from the interval. A high ball into the box from Jon Embling was missed by Gill, Green nodded on and Symons supplied the finish from close range.

The second half began with Slimbridge again pressing and a fourth goal on 55 minutes more or less finished the match as a contest. Embling got up the left, put in a long cross to the back post where Green was handily placed to volley home.

Freeman was then brought down in the home box on the hour mark. The talismanic striker, dusting himself down, put the resultant penalty neatly inside a post, to sign off before starting a 35-day suspension, one of the after affects from the disaster at Abingdon United a month ago.

Wootton were simply outplayed in this match but they still have to play fellow strugglers Pewsey Vale and rock bottom Bicester Town twice, so their predicament could be eased somewhat by success in these games.

Slimbridge, still regarded as outsiders for the title, must be in with a shout if present form can be maintained and according to caretaker manager John Evans its not over yet for the Wisloe Road club.

Evans said: "It's all about confidence and enough of that can get results. We're playing well at the moment and that is a big plus at this stage of a season in particular, but we can't afford any slip-ups, that's for sure".

Tomorrow Slimbridge host Carterton in a Hellenic Premier game at Wisloe Road (3pm). The reverse fixture in February ended 1-1 but either side of this game, the teams met over two legs in the Floodlit Cup semi-final, Slimbridge losing out 5-2 on aggregate, so the fourth meeting of the two sides this season should be an interesting battle.

With no game on Easter Monday for Slimbridge, Wisloe Road hosts an Arthur Shipway Cup semi-final, Chalford v Stonehouse Freeway, with kick-off at 4pm.