Buntingford Town 3 Bushey Rangers 0 ANOTHER good win for Town saw them maintain their title challenge in what was largely a scrappy encounter against relegation threatened Bushey Rangers on Saturday. The sudden change of weather conditions left The

Buntingford Town 3 Bushey Rangers 0

ANOTHER good win for Town saw them maintain their title challenge in what was largely a scrappy encounter against relegation threatened Bushey Rangers on Saturday.

The sudden change of weather conditions left The Bury playing surface hard and bobbly and with the brisk down pitch wind also hampering the game the general conditions helped neither team.

It was the visitors who played the conditions better in the first half playing with more vigour and composure that saw them cause Town's defensive unit a number of problems in the first period.

After an initial scrappy opening that both teams struggled to create Town took the lead on 13 minutes with a goal from nothing.

Mark Wright took a quick throw in on the halfway line and after getting a return pass from Tom Malins charged towards goal.

His positive run took him past three challenges before riffling an unstoppable 16 yard effort into the top right corner.

Moments later he was just unable to get clean contact on a Lewis Endacott cross and the ball went agonisingly wide but this was all Town could muster in the first half as too often their forward momentum broke down in silly areas which left them open to counter attacking on a regular basis.

Bushey created good chances in the last twenty minutes of the half.

Williamson was kept busy to block a one on one effort from lively forward Dean Ryan and was called from his line on a number of occasions to break up worrying situations with the visitors looking threatening.

The sound of the half-time whistle was a relief to the home side with their slender lead just intact.

With the breeze behind their backs in the second half and a completely different spring in their step Town contrived to dominate the second half for long periods.

They were further encouraged by a second goal just four minutes into the half when Mark Wright ran on to Malins' flicked header to lob the stranded keeper from 12 yards for his second goal of the game.

Town's work rate was now at optimum level and good chances were created at regular intervals.

On 56 minutes Wright shot inches wide after a nice move and minutes later he headed just wide after the goalkeeper flapped at another cross.

Will Turl had a trio of chances that were all blazed over the crossbar and Wright again was unlucky not to compete a hat-trick when his fine turn and 16 yard half volley smashed back into play off the crossbar.

The game was made completely safe with nine minutes remaining when Will Turl worked himself some space on the edge of the box and place a left footed shot into the bottom left hand corner to finalise the scoring tally.

Paul Attfield commented: "It certainly was not our best showing of the season but the conditions were tough for the players so to win as we did was positive.

"We looked, collectively, a little flat in the first half and were fortunate to be in front but we found some good intensity in our all round game in the second half and once we scored the second goal I felt it was always a matter of how many we could score."

Town: D Williamson. L Endacott, D Chaffey, D Easley, J Babbage, M Turl, M Smith, T Malins, M Wright, W Turl, L Robins (L Beaumont). Unused sub : J Stephens

- Town continue their push for the title on Saturday when they travel to mid-table London Lions, while the reserves host Lions' second string in the reserve cup semi-final.