CHIPPENHAM Town hitman Dave Gilroy says the pressure is on Bath City after the Bluebirds beat their Southern League play-off rivals 2-0 in the Easter Monday derby at Twerton Park.

Gilroy proved once again that he is the man for the big occasion on Monday with a quality brace of goals. He put Chippenham ahead from close range after 53 minutes and sealed a first ever double over the Romans with a brilliant solo effort 11 minutes later.

The Blues' striker also bagged a brace against champions Salisbury City in October, proving there is life at Hardenhuish Park after James Constable. Gilroy said: "It's always good to score in the big games. You don't want people thinking you can't deliver the goods against the top sides.

"I think this result will hurt Bath City. We will be confident if we meet them in the play-offs because we've beaten them twice now this season."

Gilroy said he was not surprised by the strong-armed approach of the Bath side, adding: "We knew what they were going to do to us in front of their own crowd. We just had to weather the storm and keep our discipline.

"I was caught off the ball, which is not what you want to see. But we don't have any hot-heads in our team and that's why we won today."

Monday's brace took Gilroy's tally to 25 goals for the Southern League season, just one strike behind golden-boot favourite Joshua Sozzo, of Hitchin Town.

  • Full story and picture special in Friday's Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News.