Match Day Preview – Chippenham Town (A)

FA Trophy 3rd Round Qualifying

By Duncan Gardener

The phrase “never an easy place to get a result” is overused but it certainly seems to be the case for the Terras when travelling to Hardenhuish Park to face Chippenham!

Whether it’s the strangely undulating pitch or the or the compact and bijou surroundings, we have only won once there in our last 11 visits! The sole victory over that period was a 3-2 success in the southern league under Jason Matthews in 2014.

Although to be honest we haven’t fared well against the Wiltshire based outfit home or away – just one win in 13 since 2014 – an FA cup win at the Bob Lucas in 2017.

But it’s the “other” cup we are engaged with this weekend in the FA Trophy – and at least we have a 100% win record against the bluebirds here – 1 win from 1 tie in 2011.

The Terras are looking for a “cupset” this weekend and perhaps that’s not beyond the realms of possibility as in the trophy this century we have progressed 5 times out of 14 against higher league opponents and impressively 4 of those wins were away from home – the most recent occasion of course being in 2024 against that small town near Sherborne.

Therefore we must have a half decent chance of reaching the coveted “last 200” stage of the competition and progressing through three rounds for the first time since 2018/19, when we ultimately bowed out to Ramsbottom United in the “round of 32”.

Any fans making the trip might just see a familiar face lining cup in the blue shirts and a Terras record holder to boot. Yes Martell Taylor-Crossdale may feature in the game. He played 10 times for Weymouth in the Conference national league in 2021/22, although the forward failed to find the net in that short spell. He does have the notoriety though of having the longest name ever to play for the club!

Will the Terras have had their chips on this cup run or can they bring home the bacon/ham?!