A CATALOGUE of traffic disasters left Biddestone starting the game with only eight men.

Playing a 4-3-0 formation, they battled well against high-flying Shrewton and kept the score deadlocked before three more players arrived ten minutes later.

Coach Gary Skidmore was also 15 minutes late and said he had never experienced any situation like that in football before.

"I had to miss the first quarter of an hour because I am working in Kent and we also had three players coming from the other side of Bristol stuck in traffic.

"We had to make a decision via a process of me, the chairman, my assistant, the players and our phones as to start with eight men and hope the players turn up quickly or use all our subs at the beginning and not be able to bring them on later.

"It was a bit like the Alamo and we could not wait until half time to reorganise."

By half time Biddestone were a goal down and Shrewton went two goals up on 65 minutes through in form striker Dean Foot who swivelled inside his marker and struck the ball inside the far post from the edge of the six-yard box.

Biddestone pulled one goal back ten minutes from time through a solo effort from Joe O'Chuko.

Surrounded by defenders in the penalty area he dragged the ball past one defender, toe-poked it past another, lobbed it over a final defender before reaching the ball first and clipping it past the on-coming keeper.

Skidmore said a 6.30pm kick off time was too early for an evening game: "I will have to sit down with our secretary and make sure this doesn't happen next season."

Biddestone travel to Saltash United this weekend not knowing what side they may put out.

Skidmore said: "I spoke to (Calne manager) Kelvin Highmore and apparently they have around 80 players signed on.But that can go against you because where's the spirit?"