BUCKLAND Athletic were victorious for the first time in a month last night in their 3-0 win over Ashton & Backwell United at Homers Heath.

The hosts missed a hatful of chances but an early own goal had them ahead at half-time in the Western League encounter. Owen Price and Josh Webber both netted after the break.

It was 1-0 with barely two minutes gone when visiting defender Reece Hedges inadvertently deflected a low Ryan Bush cross past his own keeper.

Five minutes later home stopper Andy Collings was called into action for the first time when he came out quickly to make a smart stop from Shea Bennington-Mannings.

That – along with an Alfie Cummings strike which was dragged wide – was really as good as it got for the 18th-placed travellers, who found themselves with plenty to do at the other end.

Bush, Webber and Cieran Bridger all saw opportunities come and go, with the most clear-cut falling to the former three minutes before the break.

Webber put a lovely cross in front of goal but Bush couldn’t get his feet sorted out in time to apply a finish – instead laying the ball back for JJ Evans whose attempt was blocked.

Bush was involved again just before the hour as Buckland looked to bang a little harder on the door.

Joe Bishop was dispossessed in midfield, allowing the Buckland striker to feed Webber – but his tame effort was kept out by the feet of travelling custodian Lewis Coombes.

Eight minutes later and Webber would make up for it, though, when his pinpoint in-swinging cross to the far post left wing-back Price with the simplest of finishes on the line to make it 2-0.

The home side were handed another chance 10 minutes later when Bridger was upended in the box. Ben Carter stepped up but couldn’t hit the target from 12 yards.

Ashton & Backwell looked to mount a late charge, winning a succession of corners which all found the head of Bucks skipper Rob Farkins.

And with five minutes of normal time remaining the game was put to bed when Webber’s swerving effort from outside the box caught Coombes cold – while the keeper’s teammates were protesting over an alleged foul in the build-up.

There was nearly a fourth goal in stoppage time but Webber’s deft attempt struck the top of the crossbar after some tidy work by substitute Owen Stockton.

The Bucks were beaten 2-0 away at Clevedon Town on Saturday, but interim manager Nick Milton believes there were positives to take.

‘You look at it and it’s a 2-0 defeat, but I thought we went up there and we applied ourselves really well in the first half,’ said Milton.

‘It was just a mad 10 minutes which undid us. The penalty was a penalty – Cieran [Bridger] has dragged the boy back – but then he’s lost his head for the sin-bin and you can’t legislate for that kind of thing.

‘They score the penalty and then eight minutes later they score a goal when we’re down to 10 men. We could’ve done better, but we came out in the second half and acquitted ourselves really well.

‘Within 10 minutes we could’ve had a couple of goals. Charlie [Johansen], Bushy and [Rich] Groves all had chances but it just wouldn’t go in.

‘Up against a Clevedon team on their own patch, I thought we created enough up there and I could see enough to say that we’re going in the right direction.

‘We haven’t had a good time lately – performances haven’t been great and we haven’t been able to have that consistency with the squad. We’ve been chopping and changing because of one thing or another.

‘It was a 2-0 defeat but there was a lot to come away happy about.’

That positivity evidently fed into last night’s result, but it took some perseverance in the penalty area for the goals to come.

‘It’s one of them – strikers thrive on confidence and scoring goals,’ said Milton. ‘At the moment we’re not a confident team up top.

‘If you create opportunities you’ll get your chance, and we just had to keep plugging away at it and doing the right things, which we did – and we got our just rewards in the end.

‘They had spells of play but we were mopping it up and we were organised at the back. They never really threatened, Andy [Collings] didn’t have too many saves to make.

‘It’s really pleasing that we’re still creating and in the end the goals did come. I kept saying that if we’re patient, that’s rewarded – and it was tonight.’

This Saturday Milton will take his side up to Bristol to play Ashton & Backwell United again in the reverse fixture (3pm).