Wantage Town boosted their Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West survival hopes with a 2-0 victory against a hard-working Bashley side on a difficult pitch at Alfredian Park on Saturday.

Late goals from substitutes George Reid and Sam Barder saw Daniel Barry’s men climb to 19th place, nine points above the relegation zone.

Torrential rain on Friday evening meant the playing surface was always going to be heavy.

But with the players struggling to keep their feet, it was Wantage who mastered the conditions the better.

However, despite bossing proceedings in the first half, the hosts were unable to create any clear-cut opportunities that fell their way.

Wantage continued their dominance after the break, but were still unable to make the breakthrough.

But it was the introduction of George Reid that saw Wantage’s pressure pay off with the opener on 76 minutes.

A superb reverse pass from on the halfway line from Adam Lovegrove found Ben Whitehead bursting forward.

He squared the ball for Reid to fire into the net from five yards, just five minutes after coming on.

Wantage kept pushing forward determined to seal victory.

However, they were grateful to their goalkeeper Gareth Tucker who got down well to save a close-range effort in one of Bashley’s rare forays forward.

Wantage made the game with their second goal a minute into injury time.

Bashley conceded a needless foul and Barder lashed home the resulting 20-yard-free-kick past visiting goalkeeper Callum Maher to boost their mission to escape the drop.

Wantage Tn: Tucker, J Jones, Cattell, I Lovegrove, Hulbert-Thomas, Whiting, Johns (Barder 77), Whitehead, Janes, Thorne (Reid 71), A Lovegrove (Shaw 86).

Attendance: 100.