CALNE blew the title race wide open with a stunning win at front-runners Bitton on Saturday.

A close first half finished goalless but it was the visitors who seized the initiative after the break and a Ryan Pratley double secured them a creditable win.

Calne manager Kelvin Highmore said: "We played very well but that was no real surprise to me because we are more than capable when we decide to play. We were poor against Shrewton last Tuesday and the players knew they had let everyone down and knew they couldn't turn in another performance like that."

Highmore admitted the game could have gone either way and he made sure he saved his celebrations until the final whistle had sounded.

"It was a close run thing and Bitton aren't top for no reason.

"We rode our luck in the first half but addressed problems and edged it in second half and took the game to them.

"Our first goal was brilliant but we went to sleep again and their midfielder had equalised with a great first time strike into bottom corner.

"They had their tails up and came at us but we defended stoutly and got a fortunate winner.

"It was end to end after that but I felt we could have had a couple more goals ourselves."

To a man Calne battled and scrapped for every challenge and ensured that Bitton had to do all the chasing to try and win the game.

Kicking uphill in the first half Calne defended superbly as the hosts tried to take control.

In the second minute Bitton's Adam Cole raced free down the left but his dangerous crossed deflected safely into the arms of Darryl Simms.

Simms again provided some heroics on 29 minutes when he turned wide a stinging volley from Joe Mogg.

The second half saw Calne venture out of their own half more.

In the 50th minute a James Lye corner fell to Glenn Armstrong but his shot was blocked on the line.

But seven minutes later the visitors did break the deadlock through a flowing move down the left.

Ryan Pratley started and finished the move by picking out Armstrong and then running to get on the end of Lye's flick on before beating the Bitton goalkeeper with a sublime lob.

Matt Pratley then blazed over the crossbar with only the goalkeeper to beat as Bitton became panicky.

But the home side were given a lifeline on 66 minutes when Cole laid off for Tariq Whyttcliffe to drive in from 18 yards.

Bitton sensed glory and had two penalty claims waved away. But Calne never gave up and snatched the win with five minutes left.

Matt Pratley headed back to his brother Ryan who was just inside his own half.

From there he blasted the ball forward and Bitton goalkeeper Simon Crawford completely misjudged the bounce and allowed the ball to roll into the net for a bizarre winner.