BASINGSTOKE Town manager Terry Brown had special praise for his shot stopper Colm McAdden, after his clean sheet in the 0-0 draw with Royston Town.

Brown said: “I was delighted with the performance, as I feel they are a team which will be pushing for the play-offs.

“I felt Colm had a fantastic game with a good goalkeeping display and he made two or three vital saves.”

Brown was also pleased with the first home start for 17-year-old left back Jordan Goater and added: “I felt he grew into the game. He looked really good there for us today.”

For the visit of Royston, Brown was forced to make one change to the side which drew in midweek at Merthyr Town, as centre half Shane Hollamby was suffering with a knee injury, so Goater came into the back four.

The home side were the first to come close to getting the opening goal, after George Bennett and Sam Deadfield combined and Jack McKnight saw his shot from distance hit the crossbar, just as it looked like it might dip into the top corner.

The visitor’s Sam Corcoran then tested McAdden, but he got down well to make the save.

Soon after, Town saw headers from Guri Demuria and Dan Bayliss go over the bar from corners.

The very lively Royston skipper Scott Bridges was then released by James Potten, but McAdden made a great save.

Then in added on time, Potten was denied by McAdden from close range, as the half ended 0-0.

Just two minutes after the re-start, Sam Smart drilled in a shot from the wing, which Royston goalkeeper Josh Tibbetts spilled, but Demuria was unable to get onto the rebound.

Just before the hour mark, Adam Marriott tried his luck from distance, but his shot hit the top of the crossbar.

Town’s Smart then blazed over from a nice cross from sub Callum Bunting, before Dragons’ goalie McAdden was equal to a volley from John Frendo.

Then in the final minute of the game, a telling cross from Smart was headed out by Ed Akafu-Adjaye under pressure from McKnight, who was waiting to nod in the winner. Next up for Town on Boxing Day (3pm), is a home game against Hampshire rivals Gosport Borough.