Nobody could have guessed the Colts had contested a League Cup final less than 24 hours earlier as they conjured up a magnificent performance to take the points at Wootton Bassett.
Eighteen games into their 20-match Division 1 programme and the Colts had not faced the men in yellow and blue once but the long-awaited first meeting of the sides did not disappoint.
Bassett played some great football too and on another day would have run the Colts very close indeed as they saw three efforts come back off the woodwork and Max pull off several good saves in the second half.
A virtuoso midfield performance from Liam, who had Matthew pulling the strings behind him, was perhaps the difference between the sides. The tiny terror carved out chance after chance with his quick feet and lightning pace and might have ended the day with a hatful of goals.
In the end he had to settle for just the one, but was unlucky to see a sensational left-footed 30-yard lob early in the second half ruled out for offside.
With Brandon H bringing others into play and the two Lukes – S and VDB – charging down the flanks in support, the Colts made a decent start with a strong breeze at their backs.
George and Liam were tenacious and inventive in the engine room and Matthew revelled in the space afforded to him by a deeper role.
Tom and Bradley were kept on their toes at the back by a couple of rapid strikers and did well to clear the danger in a couple of early scrambles in the Colts box.
A blistering period of play – possibly the best produced by the Colts all season – leading up to half-time took the contest away from Bassett.
Liam opened the scoring when he burst through with Brandon M in support and hammered home via the underside of the bar.
The pair of them went close again before Brandon M got his reward, smashing the ball high into the net after being set free by Matthew’s slide-rule pass.
Perhaps the best of the bunch was still to come, however. When the Colts were awarded a free-kick just outside the box and on the right, Toby did what he has threatened to do for a long time and sent a thunderous strike over the wall and into the top corner, leaving the Bassett keeper totally helpless.
Both teams threw caution to the wind after the interval, with Bassett chasing an equaliser and the Colts a bit too hungry on occasions to add to their tally. With the defence exposed and Bassett forcing a series of corners, Callum mopped up the danger a few times and Max did very well to hang on to his clean sheet.
The hosts hit the post twice in the first half and the crossbar in the second but Colts had plenty of chances of their own. Luke, Matthew, Brandon H, Liam, Brandon M and Tom all had clear sights of goal but were unable to extend the lead.
A second half packed full of goalmouth action looked destined to somehow end scoreless before Bradley, thrown on as an emergency striker for the final minutes, took Matthew’s pass and lifted the ball past the keeper from close range to register his first league goal of the season.
Colts’ joy was tempered somewhat by a nasty knee injury to Brandon M, who had to be carried from the field at Beaversbrook and now faces a frustrating spell on the sidelines. Everybody connected with the Whites squad wishes him a very speedy recovery.
MOM: Liam.