Kevin Wilkin’s men fell to a 4-0 defeat at Knights Lane on New Year’s Day, as Stratford leapfrog Bucks in the table.

A relatively even game up until the 73rd minute, the Bucks were made to rue missed chances, as Stratford’s sharpeness in both boxes proved decisive.

The Bucks had good, one-on-one chances at the start and end of the first half. Ricardo Dinanga stabbed an effort goalwards in the 5th minute that was well blocked, while right on half time Reece Styche found himself clean through, but the Bards’ keeper, Jake Weaver, came out on top.

In between, Stratford opened the scoring in the 20th minute. The Bards worked a good short corner routine that ended with Lewis Ison firing home past Brandon Hall. And Stratford made it 2-0 when the Bucks gave away possession cheaply, which presented Dan Lafferty with a golden opportunity that he duly took, sliding the ball past Hall into the bottom corner in the 30th minute.

The second half began rather stodgily, but the Bucks gradually built a head of steam as they began to get on top. But Wilkin’s men couldn’t find the net, despite some presentable opportunities, the best of which fell to Jimmy Armson in the 62nd minute. Former Buck Paul McCone got in a tangle and the ball fell to Armson six yards out, but he somehow couldn’t find a way past Weaver. And just a few moments later, Reece Styche saw his header cleared off the line, as the Bucks looked the more likely side.

But in the 73rd minute, against the run of play, Stratford made it 3-0 with their first real chance of the half and put the game to bed. The Bards swung a freekick into the far post, and Ison got up above everyone to direct a header over a stranded Hall. The Bards then added the cherry on top two minutes later, as Lafferty bagged his second of the game with a shot from outside the box.

The Bards finished the game well on top and fully deserved their win, but you wonder what might have been had the Bucks taken one of their three excellent chances at 2-0. In short, Stratford took their chances, and the Bucks didn’t – and goals change games. Wilkin’s men slip down to 5th but remain just five points off top spot.