Runaway league leaders Bracknell visited Basingstoke on Saturday and came out on the right side of a tight, cagey affair thanks to the game's brightest moment of quality from top scorer Seb Bowerman.

Both sides did good jobs of cancelling each other out and the game started off as a scrappy midfield battle.

Chances were few and far between in the early stages but as the half progressed, they began to come.

Home keeper Paul Strudley made routine saves from Max Herbert and Bowerman while Basingstoke had a Stefan Brown tap-in disallowed by a tight offside call against McKoy Palmer in the build-up.

With top scorer Conor Lynch missing through injury, Basingstoke’s attack looked a little less sharp than usual, but they did have the half’s best chance when a pinpoint pass from Anton Rodgers freed Palmer to volley inches wide from the edge of the box.

Bracknell threatened early in the second half as recent signing Aaron McLeish-White flashed a cross past the face of goal and beyond the reach of Max Herbert while George Knight headed over the bar from close range when picked out by a left-wing cross.

The pressure told as Bowerman cut in from the left and curled a low finish across Strudley into the corner.

Basingstoke responded, Brad Wilson finding a rare moment of space in the box to pull a shot wide while D'andre Brown's 18-yard effort was blocked as Bracknell's stingy defence kept the home side at bay.

The visitors did an effective job of seeing out the late stages of the match, securing a 24th win in 27 league games and continuing their march towards the title while the focus for Basingstoke turns to another crunch clash at Uxbridge next weekend.