City failed to reproduce the sparkling display of a week ago as they battled out a hard fought draw with improving Chippenham Town at Milton Road.

Fortunately for the Lilywhites all 14 senior players at the club (with the exception of the suspended Carl Williams) were available for selection in an unchanged line-up.

The early exchanges indicated that this was likely to be a tight game with neither side taking any unnecessary risks. It was fully 10 minutes into the action before an apparent breakdown in communication between Lee Pluck and Martin Davies allowed James Constable to steal in between them but the teenage striker was unable to capitalise and the first opportunity of the afternoon went to waste.

Craig Pope heads upfield

Constable was soon in the thick of the action again showing good strength to beat Pluck in the air and divert the ball into the path of the on-rushing Martin Paul but Davies was smartly off his line to force the former Newport striker wide of goal. As he centred City were still struggling to re-group but Simon Charity blazed his shot wide from close range and the danger passed.

The Lilywhites appeared stung into action and struck back with a goal in their first meaningful attack. Stuart Niven’s intelligent through ball wrong footed the Chippenham back line allowing Louis Riddle to race clear down the left, centring from a deep position he found the head of Matt Nolan and as the ball broke loose on the right hand edge of the area Rob Nightingale was on hand to crash a first time half volley back across Mark Hervin and into the bottom left hand corner of the visitors’ net.

The goal settled City to a certain extent but any attempt to gain control through their preferred passing game was disrupted as they allowed themselves to be drawn in by Chippenham’s more physical approach. The tone for the remainder of the half was set by Gary Horgan’s robust challenge on Lewis Baillie which left the Lilywites’ left back requiring treatment and the former Bath City midfielder with a caution.

City lacked the composure in defence that characterised last week’s win which was illustrated on 25 minutes when Ian Herring’s long throw from the right bounced awkwardly in the six yard box causing Lee Pluck to scramble the ball clear.

Louis Riddle’s aerial challenge on the same player moments later caused a lengthy hold up. The former Stevenage wide man protested his innocence and despite coming under considerable pressure from the visiting players Mr Scholes saw it that way too, re-starting the game with a drop-ball, but the ill-feeling rumbled on in what appeared to be an attempt to unsettle City’s most dangerous player.

The Lilywhites were on top at this stage and Riddle was involved again in their next meaningful attack, collecting Baillie’s pass he beat Herring and carried the ball to the bye-line before cutting back a low centre to Danny Bloomfield on the near post. City’s top scorer made a good connection but fired straight at Hervin who blocked with his legs allowing Charity to complete the clearance at the expense of a corner.

Matt Langston challenges Chippenham's James Constable

Rob Nightingale, having a good half, switched play from right to left finding Matt Nolan who had drifted wide, making a purposeful run towards goal the loanee striker cut inside before firing low from the edge of the area, his deflected drive forcing Hervin to make a fine save low to his right turning the ball around the post for a corner.

The final five minutes of the half saw three more players go into Mr Scholes notebook. First Riddle, at the award of a Chippenham free-kick, threw the ball at Herring striking him in the face, soon to be followed by Rob Nightingale who kicked the ball away after it had gone dead.

The flurry of yellow cards was interrupted when Niven floated an inviting through ball over the Bluebirds’ back line but Hervin was alert to the danger collecting ahead of a stretching Danny Bloomfield.

In added on time Paul became the fourth player to see yellow for a poor challenge on Riddle right in front of the referee.

Lewis Baillie’s injury prevented his re-appearance after the interval, Lee Summerscales coming in as a straight replacement at left back.

City then spurned an early chance to double their lead. Stuart Niven’s lofted pass found Rob Nightingale wide on the right, the Lilywhites goal scorer struck an early cross picking out an unmarked Danny Bloomfield some ten yards from goal but the former Bournemouth striker was never over the ball and fired disappointingly over the bar.

At the other end Constable was still proving to be handful, challenging Matt Langston he forced City’s normally unflappable centre half into a mis-timed clearance which fell invitingly for Ellis Wilmot whose rising drive was gathered in comfortably by Davies.

As the Lilywhites strove to put the game beyond Chippenham, Charity felled Rob Nightingale some 10 yards outside of the box. Stuart Niven’s driven free kick found the head of Bloomfield but his header was fielded comfortably by Hervin.

With just under an hour gone visiting manager Steve White withdrew Andy Robertson from the action replacing him with former Swindon striker Charlie Griffin.

City were still marginally on top at this stage and an intelligent interchange between Nolan and Riddle saw the City winger race clear and fire in a dangerous low centre which forced a last gasp interception from Colin Towler with Bloomfield closing in.

Lee Pluck clears any danger at the expense of Martin Paul

The Lilywhites failure to turn their superiority into goals gave Chippenham belief that there was a way back into the game. City began to concede unnecessary free kicks in dangerous positions, Charlie Griffin’s accurate delivery on 65 minutes finding Towler whose header forced Davies to save at his near post. The ‘keeper’s poor clearance failed to relieve the pressure however and the ball was worked back to Griffin whose fierce drive was blocked by the alert Langston at the expense of a corner.

There was to be no such let off three minutes later however as Chippenham scored the equalising goal that they had been threatening for several minutes. Rob Nightingale was penalised for hand ball on the City right. Ellis Wilmot fired the resultant free kick in towards the far post where Constable rose with Pluck and getting the better of the City skipper headed back across goal, over Martin Davies and into the roof on the net, 1-1.

City attempted to hit back, Nolan, increasingly coming wide to collect the ball cut in from the right hand side, beat Wayne Thorne and saw his powerful cross shot blocked and cleared by Towler. As the Lilywhites maintained the pressure Matt Langston played the ball wide to Riddle who used his speed to come inside Charity and send a right foot drive arrowing goalwards from the left hand edge of the area but the athletic Hervin was equal to the task producing a flying save.

With the final 10 minutes fast approaching City were lucky to remain on level terms as Wilmot’s free kick from wide on the right caused chaos in the Lilywhites box. Paul was first to the ball and he saw a goal bound effort blocked by a combination of Davies and his right hand upright, the same post again coming to City’s rescue as Constable headed the loose ball square onto the woodwork from close range.

City were still looking for a winner, Niven found Nolan on the right who did well to create room for a cross which he fired into the near post where Bloomfield got half a yard on his marker to fire goalwards only for Hervin to block yet again. This was to be Bloomfield’s last meaningful involvement as he was replaced by Robbie Simpson in the closing minutes.

As the game drew to a close Constable was still able to fashion two more opportunities to snatch all three points. Firstly he used his strength to get the wrong side of Craig Pope but there was no power in his resultant shot. Then, as Matt Langston got his head to a long clearance the former Cirencester Town striker was first to the loose ball firing powerfully at Davies who parried and then gathered at the second attempt.

Mr Scholes brought proceedings to a close soon afterwards and although disappointed not to capitalise on last week’s victory over table topping Weymouth, City will be pleased to keep the momentum going in a game which ultimately could have gone either way.