WOOTTON BASSETT'S goal and win drought continued with a disappointing 3-0 Premier Division defeat at Carterton.

An encouraging, if fruitless, 1-0 loss at North Leigh last Wednesday had given Pete Yeardley and his men cause for optimism.

That lasted 19 minutes before the hosts broke the deadlock.

Sloppy defending allowed Trevor Ashley through and he lobbed Ian Gill in the Bassett goal.

Carterton increased their lead four minutes after the break when Jamie Butt headed in a Mark Threlfall corner at the back post.

Threlfall rattled the crossbar later in the half before Geoff Swatton and Stewart Bellinger should have halved the deficit for Bassett.

James Mortimer-Jones sealed the hosts' win in the final minute, firing in from the edge of the area.

"For the first time this season I can say we were second best in every department," said a despondent Yeardley.

"We've got Shortwood at home on Tuesday and Hook Norton on Saturday and realistically we've got to be looking to win both of those games."

Bassett, now without a win since November and without a goal in more than 270 minutes, remain second from bottom, with only Gloucester United below them.

Pewsey Vale moved a further point clear of their lowly rivals following a 1-1 draw at Chipping Norton.

Craig Wall headed Pewsey in front only for Mark Odum to level three minutes from time.

Highworth's costly rut continued with a 2-0 defeat at Slimbridge.

Julian Freeman and Matt Green scored inside the first 20 minutes to extend the Swindon side's winless run to seven games.

Just two draws have been collected in that sequence which equates to two points from a possible 21.

That form sees the former title challengers now floundering in 10th

Purton are still unbeaten at the top of Division One West despite dropping two points in a 1-1 home draw with Easington.

Eurshel Fearon's strike two minutes before the interval looked enough to maintain Purton's eight-point cushion.

But Lee Harris popped up in stoppage time to ruin Purton's day and givethe chasing pack fresh hope.

Shrivenham made the most of the slip up with a 3-2 win over Adderbury but they made hard work of it.

Steve Winchcombe scored twice in the first half either side of Adam Daley's equaliser.

Ben Deighton drew the hosts level with a dubious penalty midway through the second period but Alex Green fired in a last-minute winner to spare Shrivenham's blushes.

The victory cuts the gap on Purton to seven points with a game in hand, with Ross nestled in second a point ahead of Shrivvy.

Manager Alan Dyton was less than impressed, however.

"This was the worst performance I have witnessed all season and three points we did not deserve," he said.

"But there have been a lot of games that we have not gained what we have deserved.

"So a bad performance best forgotten but three more points to keep the pressure on the top two clubs."

Elsewhere, Cirencester United lost 2-1 at home to Winterbourne, with Phil Scarlett on target for Ciren.