MATCH REPORT: Chippenham Town 1-2 Weston-super-Mare | National League South | Tuesday 20th August 2025

We taste defeat at home

The Bluebirds narrowly fell to a defeat on a cold Tuesday night in what was a really bitty game against Weston Super Mare. In a match where Caine Bradbury arguably scored the goal of the game with a well taken half volley from the edge of the area. But it was the visitors who took all the points back to Somerset in the end, as they won by two goals to one thanks to goals either side of the ninety from former Chippenham player Will Dawes and Bristol City academy graduate Louis Britton. 

It was Britton who had a great chance to give the away side a very early lead, about fifteen seconds into the match. Harrison Minturn, on his third home debut after signing on loan from Swindon, did well to force Weston’s number nine as wide as possible away from goal. Britton had to take the shot on from a difficult angle in the end and thankfully it just trickled past the left post of Will Henry’s goal. That would have been the perfect start on the night for our visitors but everyone in a blue shirt was relieved to see the effort go wide.

After that , the hosts had their opponents on the back foot for a good portion of that first half. It was perhaps just that final ball that we were missing and that clinical edge in the match. But the endeavour to chase every loose ball and win every second ball was exceptional. Harlee Vozza, who started his first game this season in a Bluebird shirt, and Bradbury were standouts from the first half in terms of winning back possession in dangerous areas and looking to create early chances at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium. 

It was a game of very few chances, almost a bit like a chess match at times because Weston also played really good counter attacking football and could have had plenty of opportunities to score on the break. However, Minturn and Luke Haines also had excellent performances in the first half, both centre halves made sure they got stuck in and put their body on the line in what was a very scrappy game of football. 

And it was Haines who had the first major opportunity for our boys in blue. The chance came to our skipper from a set piece after a foul was committed on Tom Owen-Evans. Bradbury was influential all game and he was on free kick duty once again, with a beautiful cross played in from the right. It was the perfect ball for Haines to get his head on it and try to produce a shot on target for Chippenham. The ball nearly found the bottom left corner of Max Harris’ goal, if it wasn’t for a slight deflection on Haines’ header from a Weston body which resulted in a corner which unfortunately came to nothing in the end for the Bluebirds. 

Our boys in blue certainly had the majority of the possession in the first half, but they were punished for their inability to create many good opportunities in the game. It was the Seagulls who ended up taking the lead with four minutes to go before half time. Chippenham already had a scare when a corner for the away side earlier in the game almost led to a goal, however Jacob Jagger Cane blazed his effort high and wide into the Wiltshire night sky.

But this time, Scott Bartlett’s side did make a set piece opportunity count with about four minutes before the interval. And of course it was former Chippenham player Dawes who gave them the lead, much to the despair of the home fans who certainly felt their team deserved more out of that first half. But the away side showed that clinical edge and went into the break leading by a goal to nil. 

Half time:- Chippenham Town 0-1 Weston-super-Mare

The second half was a similar story to the first, in the fact that Chippenham saw plenty of the ball again. Opportunities did come more frequent though, especially in the early stages of the second forty five. Ezio Touray had a snap shot from a tight angle inside the box but it was comfortably saved by Harris in the end.

It wouldn’t be long until the home fans had something to cheer about, Tom Mehew went on a brilliant run from midfield towards the penalty area. Still with the ball, the midfielder had his back towards goal for a brief moment before unleashing an effort towards goal. His strike took a deflection off a Seagulls defender, but the ball fell to Bradbury who showed amazing composure to turn his man and get it on to his favoured right foot. Before just arrowing his shot perfectly past Harris, there was not much the Weston number one could do as it was right in the corner. The Bluebirds were delighted to be back level in the game. 

Maybe it was just a little bit of experience of managing games shown from the away side after that goal. Because there were not many chances created from either side, apart from a few half chances here and there that ultimately led to nothing unfortunately. But what Bartlett’s side did well was making sure they were clinical when they had good spells, as they found the winner with about twenty minutes to go. Britton was probably their best player on the night, and he got his goal that he truly deserved on the break. It was a great moment for the travelling support who ultimately won a very hard earned three points.

Full time: Chippenham Town 1-2 Weston-super-Mare

CTFC: Will Henry, Lewis Colwell (Cole Fleming XX), Luke Haines (C), Harrison Minturn (Jac Poffley 61), Ethan Vaughan, Tom Mehew, Reece Fleet, Caine Bradbury, Tom Owen-Evans (Henry Sady 75), Ezio Touray (Sol Wanjau-Smith 75), Harlee Vozza (Quevin Castro 75)

Unused: Jake Evans, Hary Messenger

WSM: Max Harris, Micheal Smith, Jacob Jagger Cane, Jason Pope, James Dodd, Louis Britton (Callum Wood 90+7), James Waite (Jake Hicks 90+3), Emlyn Lewis (C), Will Dawes
Sam Pearson (86), Luke Skinner (Luke Coulson 86), Dan Martin

Unused: Jakob Glover, Josh Salmon, Oli Jenkins