THREE goals inside the opening 18 minutes moved Chippenham Town three points clear of the chasing pack in the Dr Martens League Western Division promotion race as they swept aside in-form Cirencester Town at Hardenhuish Park on Saturday.

Nathan Rudge bagged the club's quickest goal of the campaign with a mere 42 seconds on the clock, while further strikes from captain Steve Tweddle and Grantley Dicks ensured a relatively comfortable afternoon for the second placed Bluebirds.

The result made it seven wins in eight games for the hosts and leaves Chippenham four points behind league leaders Halesowen Town with a game in hand.

The two sides meet at Halesowen in a real promotion six-pointer on Saturday.

Bluebirds assistant manager Colin Bush was delighted after watching his side take another step towards Premier Division football on Saturday.

He said: "It was a fantastic start and got us off to an absolute flyer. After last week's 6-0 victory, we basically dominated the first half and the goals came at nice little intervals.

"The team were on fire and it was an excellent first half performance, but we knew we weren't going to have it all our own way and Cirencester were going to come out and push us around a bit in the second half.

"They were wound up, a bit more aggressive and committed a lot of fouls. But I felt we were very well controlled and it was an excellent performance.

"The season is set up now. It is up to us and we are more than capable. We are certainly capable of scoring goals, getting them at the right time, and who knows what will happen?"

Bush praised the work ethic running through his side, which ensured Cirencester were denied even a sniff of a consolation goal in the second period.

"We are playing as a team. The players are well aware that, if something isn't in place or someone can't be bothered then, it all breaks down. They know they have to go out there at this standard of football and play as a unit.

"Cirencester had a lot more of the ball in the second half but we made it difficult for them around the edge of the box. They weren't going to pass it through us and it was going to take a thunderous shot for them to score."

Overnight frost had left Saturday's clash in doubt, but the playing surface was passed fit by Swindon referee Steven Humphrey at 1.30pm and the Bluebirds were rewarded with a bumper crowd of 582.

And Hardenhuish Park's third highest league gate of the season did not have to wait long for the first goal of the afternoon.

Tweddle forced a corner following the hosts first attack and Simon Charity's left-wing kick was nodded on by Matt Rawlins for centre back Rudge to volley past Kevin Sawyer with less than a minute on the watch.

Rawlins and Charity were again involved as Chippenham made it two on seven minutes.

The top scorer's low cross from the right found Charity inside the area and, when Andy Grange blocked his effort, the predatory Tweddle was on hand to grab his 11th goal of an injury-ravaged campaign.

And the skipper almost made it 12 moments later when he sent a vicious right-footed volley inches wide of Sawyer's right post following a strong break from midfield by Charity.

The home side continued to dominate proceedings and confirmed their superiority with a third goal following a foul by Grange on Tweddle 25-yards from goal.

Left-back Dicks curled his effort over the visitors' wall and, although goalkeeper Sawyer managed to get both hands onto the ball, he could not prevent it from squirming into the left corner of his net.

With only 18 minutes played a repeat of the previous Saturday's six-goal rout of Evesham looked on the cards, but the Bluebirds consolidated their lead and defended resolutely to restrict their visitors to some hopeful long-range shooting for the remainder of the game.

Shane Andrews collected his fifth booking of the campaign when he clattered his former team-mate Dave Godley midway through the first half, while both Tweddle and Dicks went close to increasing the hosts' lead before the interval.

Cirencester produced their first meaningful shot on Steve Weaver's goal in the 64th minute when Godley's effort was hacked clear by Dicks, before defender Andy Wollen screwed their best chance of the match wide with 14 minutes to go.

But, despite enjoying much of the possession, Cirencester could not find a way through and it was the hosts who looked the more likely side to score on the break.

A flick-on from substitute Adie Mings sent Rawlins racing clear in the final minute, but the winger took one touch too many and gave Sawyer the chance to save at his feet. Mings then fired over from close range following a hard-hit John Woods cross in the third minute of stoppage time.

Midfielder Charity, central to the Bluebirds' first two goals of the afternoon, felt his side had been well worth their win.

He said: "I think the first goal was one of the quickest we've scored on record. Going down the slope, it meant we could kick on and get that all-important second.

"Going three goals in front, it is difficult to motivate yourself for the second half and you tend to sit back a little bit. But we always looked the more dangerous on the counter attack and could have had a few more at the end."