PROVIDING Bashley can start mirroring manager Steve Riley’s optimism, their Premier Division status should be assured.

“If we play like that in our remaining games, we will pick up more points than we lose,” said Riley, after watching Bash fail to win at home for the sixth league match in succession.

While the alarm bells are still fairly faint at Bashley Road, the recent statistics of one win in 16 games in all competitions are starting to give some supporters cause for concern.

The fact this rematch – following a 1-1 draw between the teams in Somerset 10 days previously – ended in the same scoreline told its own story for Bash.

And while Frome boss Darren Perrin may have thought “we are making this lot look like Real Madrid” during the early stages, he was later left to curse the visitors’ finishing.

Robins goalkeeper Darren Chitty, who is affectionately known to his team-mates as Bang Bang (get it? Chitty, Chitty), was both villain and hero as ecstasy turned to agony for Bash.

His failure to punch clear a Dave Allen free-kick, under intense pressure from James Stokoe, allowed Luke Whitley to steal in at the far post to roll home his second goal of the season after 34 minutes.

Culpable for the Bash opener, Bang Bang then pulled off a Rolls Royce save to keep out Allen’s well-struck 57th-minute penalty which had been destined for the bottom corner.

Sandwiched between his exploits, Mike Perrott netted an equaliser from the spot after Jack Smith had been harshly penalised for a foul by referee Michael Webb two minutes before the break.

“I didn’t think it was a penalty,” said Riley, who watched new signing Josh Casey from Salisbury impress on debut. “It was just two players coming together and nobody appealed. That’s our luck at the moment.”

While Frome could lay claim to squandering a couple of presentable first-half chances, they could have no complaints after Mark Cooper had clearly handled an Ian Oliver cross to concede the penalty.

“It was a great save,” said Riley. “Dave was disappointed but I told him Alan Shearer used to miss penalties and he was on £70,000 a week. I told him not to worry.

“Bar putting away the penalty, I could not have asked for any more from the lads.”

While Riley was left to rue seeing Oliver’s bullet header come crashing back off the crossbar 18 minutes from time, his summation that goalkeeper Stewart Kearn had little to do during the encounter owed much to Frome fluffing their lines during the encore with two wasted chances.

Bash: Kearn, Smith, Finlay, Middleton, Whitley, Green, Casey, Allen, Stokoe, Gamble, Oliver. Unused subs: Vokes, Foster, Penny, B Hill, Prodomo (g/k).