TOOLSTATION LEAGUE

Calne Town 0, Welton Rovers 1

CALNE slipped to their third consecutive league defeat on Saturday despite dominating against Welton Rovers at Bremhill View.

The Lilywhites played some of their best football of the season but were ultimately undone by a piece of poor defending.

Skipper Steve Casey and central defensive partner Simon Gardner left the ball for each other and Lee Fussell pounced to score the only goal of the game from close range.

The result left manager Robbie Lardner cursing his luck as Calne lost vital ground on their Premier Division rivals.

Lardner said: "It was all very frustrating. We made some good chances but we just couldn't find that elusive first goal.

"In the second half we were camped in the Welton half of the field but we just couldn't get the breakthrough we needed."

Lardner described the performance as a "step in the right direction" after previous league defeats to Frome Town and Barnstaple.

But the Bremhill View boss knows his team must stamp out the unforced errors if they want to recreate the success of last season.

He said: "Last year we kept lots of clean sheets and dominated games from start to finish, but this year it's not been the same.

"Teams know all about us now. We knew it would be a tough year and we've been getting punished for our mistakes."

The defeat against Welton leaves Calne ninth in the Premier Division table, with five wins and five losses from their opening ten matches.

With no league game tomorrow, the Lilywhites have time to regroup before the visit of Torrington next Saturday.

Said Lardner: "The players were down in the dressing room after the game on Saturday, but there were many pluses to be taken from the way we kept going.

"It was a really positive performance from the team. Some of our important individual players are starting to reach their peak.

"I thought James Lye was exceptional up front. He's not quite been buzzing this season but he led the line superbly against a big back three."

Lye was switched to centre forward against Welton after starting the season at left wing-back.

The talented 25-year-old gave the visitors a torrid time but couldn't find the finishing touch to earn Calne a share of the spoils.

Lye said: "We had lots of chances, but it was just one of those days when the ball wouldn't go in.

"If we play as well as we did on Saturday for the rest of the season then we will win more games than we lose.

"It's been a bit of a stop-start season for us so far with all the cup games, but I don't think we've played too badly."

Lye is hoping for an extended run alongside striker Glenn Armstrong, but faces stiff competition from summer signing Luke Gullick, Owen Bryan and the experienced Matty Messenger.

He said: "I would rather stay up front than be moved around all the time because it's hard to get any consistency playing like that.

"I like to be in the thick of the action, but wherever I play I will do my best for the team," he said.

Lye placed a header wide of the post late in the game on Saturday as Calne fought hard to cancel out Fussell's first-half strike.

Bryan struck a post and Armstrong saw his goalbound effort cleared off the line as Welton survived a second half onslaught.