Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Knowles Heroics Sets Up Shrewton Win
Over Step 6 Opponents
Reece Knowles whose injury time penalty save allowed Shrewton to take Pewsey Vale into extra time.
The honour for the first giant killing act of the new season in the Wiltshire Senior Cup resides with Joe Sheldrake’s Shrewton United side who forwent home advantage to allow their tie against Sydenhams Wessex League side Pewsey Vale to be played in midweek, with the floodlights at Shrewton currently not being suitable for evening games.

Shrewton started well against their higher league opponents and created a number of good chances to take the lead but were unable to take any of them and it remained goalless at the break. Their Wessex League opponents meanwhile had failed to trouble the Shrewton goal in the first forty-five minutes.

The game remained without a goal as it moved into the final twenty minutes. However, with Shrewton already a man down with a player in the sin-bin they were reduced to nine men when captain Steven Holvey picked up a second yellow card of the night and was dismissed. The “home” side immediately exploited the numerical advantage with an opening goal from a corner, the ball being volleyed in at the far post past Shrewton keeper Reece Knowles. With Shrewton numbers back up to ten players they went in search of an equaliser and were finally rewarded three minutes from time when Pewsey failed to deal with a Shrewton corner and Zak McNally slotted the ball home to make it 1-1. However, that was not the end of the drama in normal time as, deep into injury time, Pewsey were awarded a penalty. Whilst it is normally the strikers who get all the glory this time it was Shrewton keeper Reece Knowles who became the hero of the night as he saved the Pewsey penalty to send the game into extra time.

Despite the continued numerical disadvantage, the first half of extra time saw Shrewton take the lead for the first time in the match when Jake Watson scored to make it 2-1 to Shrewton at half time in extra time. After the restart Shrewton continued to push forward and were rewarded when Dean Smith set up substitute Craig Appleby who fired a shot into the top corner to make it 3-1 to the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League side.

Former Shrewton player Ross Bentall then pulled one back for Pewsey when he fired in a free kick from 20 yards to give Pewsey hope at 3-2. However, the game was finally wrapped up two minutes from the end of extra time when Carl Fitz-Gerald was brought down in the box and Dean Smith duly put the penalty away to make the final score 4-2 to Shrewton and the first giant killing act of this season’s Wiltshire Senior Cup.

Shrewton now join the five other clubs from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League who were given a bye in the First Round in the hat for the Second Round draw.  Cricklade Town, Ludgershall Sports, Stratton Juniors, Trowbridge Town and Wroughton all had byes in the First Round. The league is guaranteed another side through as Holt meet Marlborough Town next week in a First Round tie and they could also be joined by Purton if they can pull off another giant killing and defeat Western League Division 1 side Devizes Town. Their scheduled game with Devizes Town will now be staged next Tuesday, 15th October 2019 after it was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Wednesday 9 October 2019
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