Tuesday 20 August, Bob Lucas Stadium, 19.45PM BST
Our chance to ensure our season still starts brightly takes place tonight against 23rd-place Chippenham Town, who have had an equally disappointing start to the campaign.
The Bluebirds are winless in two games, their most recent loss taking place in Dorking on Saturday.
Our weekend was also one to forget, with Hemel Hempstead Town securing a 2-0 victory at our expense on our home turf.
Mark Molesley told us after the full-time whistle of his wishes to see the “character and personality” of the players on Tuesday.
For a team which has avoided defeat against since 2017, doing that will be some statement.
HOW TO FOLLOW…
Radio commentary will be provided for fans who are unable to attend the game; you can access HERE to keep up with the match.
You can also follow the action via our social media channels. Footage and exclusive reaction will be uploaded online after the final whistle.
THE OPPOSITION…
Though there are debates as to whether the club was founded in either 1873 or 1884, make no mistake, this the oldest football club in the whole of the National League South.
But, despite their longevity, their ascent up the football pyramid has been a gradual one.
It took until the end of the 2016-17 season for The Bluebirds to earn themselves a place in the National League South, getting promoted with a record 103 points, where they have remained ever since.
The Wiltshire outfit have stabilised their status in England’s sixth tier, with an average position of 13th since their arrival.
Promotion hopes, however, have alluded tonight’s opponents, besides one stellar 2021-22 season, which saw them occupy seventh place, squeezing them into the play-offs.
However, ambitions of fulfilling fifth-tier fantasies were thwarted with a penalty-shootout loss to Dartford in the play-off quarter-finals.
Since then, Chippenham have recruited Gary Horgan as gaffer, who has now been part of the club’s coaching staff for seven years.
His experience, however, has yet to help steer his side to victory this season, as they, likewise to us, find themselves pointless after two games.
It is a situation, though, that Mark told us yesterday was not reflective of Horgan’s side’s quality.
Speaking on the reasoning for two successive losses, Horgan said he was looking for “a bit of ruthlessness in both boxes” from his players.
With our Gaffer demanding the same, tonight points towards a hotly-fought contest between two top-quality sides looking to get back on track.
PREVIOUS RESULTS…
With our 21 wins, compared to Chippenham’s 16, the mighty Terras certainly boast the upper hand.
One of those victories ended up 11-0 in our favour back in 1934; unsurprisingly, this is our largest win versus The Bluebirds to date!
The Wiltshire side have been able to match us slightly better in recent times, however, as we find ourselves winless against tonight’s visitors in five games.
Though the last two contests were a lot more even, with both games ending in a 1-1 draw.
The most recent of those came after we paid a visit to Hardenhuish Park, where Harry Parsons scored a deserved debut equaliser.
The young forward, however, could feature for Chippenham tonight, inside the stadium where he wowed us with many spectacular performances.
If we want to send The Bluebirds flocking home empty-handed, it will involve keeping star players like Parsons from perching on our nest…
