GEORGE Wheeler-Bailey scored in each half as visitors Biggleswade came from a goal down to beat fellow play-off contenders Cirencester Town in freezing conditions on Saturday afternoon.

With the big freeze affecting non-league games up and down the country, Cirencester's artificial surface came in handy but the sub-zero temperatures, mixed with the fog, still proved a challenge for both sets of players.

But it was the away side who profited as they cut the gap on Cirencester in fourth position in the Southern League Division One Central play-off places to two points.

All sides in contention for a top-five finish have played fewer games than The Centurions, so the hosts needed to pick up three points to keep Biggleswade, who have four games in hand on Ciren, at bay.

And it was the perfect start as Will Cristopher's rocket from 25 yards found the top corner of the goal in the 13th minute to put Cirencester 1-0 up.

The visitors warmed to the task and Stuart Nelson had to get down low to save Charlie Hayford's free-kick, before bouncing back to his feet and blocking the rebound.

But Nelson could not keep out Wheeler-Bailey's first of the afternoon for the visitors as a scramble in the box eventually saw the Biggleswade player strike goalward from 15 yards, with the Cirencester keeper getting a hand to it but unable to prevent it from crossing the line.

Nick Peare struck a shot against the post in the second-half as Cirencester looked to regain the lead but he was soon walking off the pitch as a second yellow card saw him dismissed by the referee and the hosts had to play the remainder of the game down to 10. 

And Biggleswade took all of two minutes to make the extra man count as Wheeler-Bailey poked home into the corner from inside the box.

Felix Miles came closest to rescuing a point for Ciren as his shot flicked off the crossbar but they ran out of time in the end and suffered a 2-1 defeat.