Our third defeat of the season leaves us with an unwanted start to the 2024/25 campaign following a 2-0 loss to Eastbourne Borough on Tuesday night at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
This result ensures that we are the only team to have lost their opening three games since the new league season began.
It was a particularly frustrating scoreline, as Mark Molesley himself stated, given our threat at goal throughout the 90 minutes.
Our disallowed strike just before halftime was equally as infuriating, given our deficit by just one goal, courtesy of Luke Spokes’ screamer moments after the half-hour mark.
The Bluebirds then doubled their lead almost 10 minutes into the second half, when a defensive mishap allowed Will Dawes to slot home and give us an even bigger mountain to climb.
But, despite the result, Mark noted an improvement from last Saturday’s performance, stating that we created “more than [Chippenham].”
We started the game with two changes following our Hemel Hempstead defeat, with Leo Hamblin and Andreas Robinson coming in for Francis Amartey and Euan Pollock.
Our attacking play would take a little while to threaten the opposition, who had a disallowed goal of their own after just six minutes.
Former-Terra Harry Parsons fired the initial shot at Billy Terrell, who parried away.
However, the ball then landed straight at the feet of Tyreke Johnson, who slotted home just inches from goal.
The midfielder’s celebrations were thankfully cut short as he was ruled offside.
Then, by the quarter-hour mark, both teams were rocked by an injury setback each.
Ben Greenwood, who has since recovered, came off for Euan Pollock due to an eye problem, just moments after Jake Evans was forced off in place of Caine Bradbury.
Our forced swap did us no damage, though, quite the opposite, as Euan was fed by Malachi Linton near the edge of the box.
Though the sub’s strike was ultimately deflected behind, our promising signs suggested a first-half goal would be on its way.
It would, but for the visitors.
Their opening goal was an exquisite one, as it began when Parsons held up play and laid the ball to Spokes.
Few could have predicted what would happen next; the Chippenham midfielder whipped the ball into the top-left corner.
Ultimately, Billy, who had no chance whatsoever, could only watch the ball fly past him as we went a goal behind.
Leo Hamblin would attempt to respond with an ambitious strike of his own, flicking the ball up near the left-byline and firing the ball towards the top-right corner at a tight angle.
Our next chance would be even closer to putting us level when Mal, often so reliable in front of goal, reached his head towards Brooklyn Genesini’s pinpoint accurate cross.
However, obstruction from Chippenham captain Luke Haines was just about enough to prevent our star striker from grabbing his second of the season.
Then, if Mal’s chance was close, the same could be said about our next strike, only more so.
Unsurprisingly, our threat came about once again as a result of one of Brooklyn’s deadly deliveries.
Corey Jordan was the player to reach his head to the ball, knocking it past will Henry approx. four minutes before halftime.
But, what looked to get us right back into the game was quickly halted by the assistant referee, who ruled our defender to be offside.
Instead of Corey being on the scoresheet as a Terra for the first time, we headed down the tunnel, much like last weekend, a goal behind
Luckily, it wouldn’t take long for us to show our intent after the break.
Brooklyn, now making a habit of tormenting shot-stoppers with his thunderous strikes, forced an uncomfortable save from Henry with a powerful effort on the edge of the box.
Andreas would then be the next player to almost bring us level, as his curling shot dipped just a little too late.
Once again though, luck went the visitors’ way, courtesy of a miscommunication between Billy and Euan nearly 10 minutes into the second half.
Dawes pounced on the ball before Euan could get to it, before surprising Billy by placing the ball past the near-post.
With us now two goals down, Brandon Goodship was one of a number of changes made by us as the game ticked on.
The goal machine’s return from injury was almost immediately felt, threading a dangerous ball in between the lines.
The subsequent cross landed at the feet of Charlie Rowan, who fired over the bar from inside the box.
Fareed Salifu then came within inches of pulling one back, as his low strike landed in the hands of Henry.
Mark, in hindsight, rued our lack of opportunities fed to the young sub, as we lost 2-0 for the second successive game.
