Promotion chasing Melksham Town Reserves moved into the top three with an impressive 6-1 win over Frome Collegians last night. Harvey Flippance was once again the man with the goals firing a hat-trick making him the leading league goal scorer in the Premier Division this season with 19 goals to his name. He also heads the goal scoring charts in the Under 18 Division where he has scored 9 times for FC Chippenham. The other Melksham goals on the night came courtesy of Jamie Jordan, Cullen Wylie and an own goal, Jake Wright with the consolation goal for Frome who fell to their biggest defeat of the season against the in-form Melksham Town side. That is now just one defeat in their last 12 games for Melksham ahead of a tasty looking Fountain Trophies Cup Quarter Final this coming Saturday against a Wroughton side who are unbeaten in all competitions so far this season. Melksham are battling with Kintbury Rangers for the promotion place to Step 6 at the end of the season. Both sides are now in a qualifying top five position which bodes well for an exciting end to the season, both in terms of promotion and the league title race which also involves Shrewton United, Wroughton, Corsham Town Res and Purton.
Whilst Melksham and Kintbury are battling for that promotion place a couple of Wiltshire based sides are towards the bottom end of their respective Step 6 divisions and could face relegation to the league. New College Swindon are currently bottom of the Hellenic League Division 1 West with just one point from their opening 19 games. The FA have intimated that there could be reprieves from relegation but with this likely to be done on a points per game basis New College will need to start picking up some points soon if they are to avoid the drop. In the Toolstation Western League Devizes Town are currently third from bottom of their Step 6 league but are seven points clear of bottom side Bristol Telephones who they beat 5-2 when they met in December so should finish outside of the relegation spot.
In the league’s two feeder leagues, the Trowbridge & District League and the Swindon & District League, the Premier Division title race in both leagues is looking very interesting. In the Trowbridge & District League it looks to be a two-team battle for the title between Devizes Town Reserves and Marshfield. Both sides have expressed a desire to be promoted to the Wiltshire Senior League so will compete for that one promotion place from the T&DFL as well as the league title, with Devizes looking to bounce straight back from their relegation last season. Devizes currently head the table by a point but have played two games more than second placed Marshfield, who have yet to be defeated in the league. In the Swindon & District League there looks to be a three way battle for the title involving The Globe, Ruby Removals and Blunsdon. The Globe currently lead the table by a point but second placed Ruby Removals have a game in hand. Blunsdon in third spot can move to within a point of The Globe if they win their own game in hand on the current leaders in what again looks to be gearing up to be an exciting title race. All three teams are also through to the semi-final of the Advertiser Cup, the other semi-finalists being Redhouse. None of the sides from the Swindon & District League have asked to be considered for promotion to the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League for next season.