Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Top Four All Win Again, 
Another Heavy Defeat For Purton

Action from Corsham Town Dev's 4-2 win over Malmesbury Vics Dev (picture courtesy of John Cuthbertson)

Midweek action in the Premier Division saw all of the top four in action on Wednesday night but before that there were three games on Tuesday night. 

Melksham Town Reserves, who sat in seventh place in the table, were looking to move into the top five with a home win over a Wroughton side who have struggled so far this season in the games against sides at the top end of the table. However, they went into the game knowing they were one of a limited number of sides to have a good recent record against Melksham. Unfortunately for Wroughton the game went to form as Melksham returned to winning ways with a comfortable 6-2 victory. Will Backhouse set them on their way scoring from a free kick early on before Tom Mack extended their lead. Veteran Shane Hibbert pulled one back for Wroughton before the break to make it 2-1 at half time. Backhouse restored the two-goal advantage for Melksham with his second of the game early in the second half and Tom Mack then netted his second, scoring from a free kick. A looping header from Elliot Corp made it 5-1 to the home side before Shane Hibbert pulled one back for Wroughton with his second of the game. Wroughton were unable to add to the two goals and a late goal from Melksham’s Tom Hoskins completed the night’s scoring. The win saw Melksham move up into fifth place in the table ahead of a visit from league leaders Pewsey Vale on Saturday.

Will Backhouse (Melksham Town Res) and Shane Hibbert (Wroughton) who both bagged a brace for their respective sides

Salisbury FC Development had made a decent start to the season with two wins from their opening three games ahead of the visit of a struggling Ludgershall side. The first 25 minutes of the game at The Raymond McEnhill Stadium gave little indication of what was to follow as Ludgershall Sports had the better of the opening exchanges. However, it was the home side who were to go in front Jonny Timberley setting up brother Ed to fire in at the far post to put the home side in front just before the half hour mark. Jonny Timberley was again the provider as Dan Fitchett made it 2-0 on 39 minutes and there was time for one more goal before the break, Devon Arnold firing in from the penalty spot after Fitchett was brought down in the box to give Salisbury a 3-0 half time lead. The game was effectively ended as a contest on 52 minutes when a quick corner routine saw Devon Arnold fire in from a tight angle to make it 4-0. Four minutes later Arnold had his hat-trick on his debut, Fitchett with the assist as Salibury made it five. Fitchett then went from provider to scorer, notching his second of the game to make it 6-0 after good set up play by Kai Gowing. Salisbury were now well on top and Arnold, having scored the hat-trick on his debut was still hungry for more goals and smashed a second hat-trick in a six minute spell to put Salisbury nine goals to the good. There was still time for one more goal, 16-year-old Kai Gowing scoring his second of the season to make the final score 10-0. Next up for Salisbury is a visit from third placed Calne Town Reserves on Saturday whilst Ludgershall will look to reboot their season at home against Malmesbury Victoria Development.
The final game of the night on Tuesday was at Elcot Lane where Shrewton United were Marlborough Town’s visitors. Marlborough had made a decent start to the campaign compared to recent season’s and were looking to build on the useful point they obtained in the draw with Melksham Town Reserves on Saturday. Joe Sheldrake’s Shrewton side meanwhile had been well beaten by Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development on Saturday and were keen to return to the form that had seen them win the two games prior to the visit from Royal Wootton Bassett. Their record in league meetings against Marlborough Town is a good one with 12 wins in the last 14 league meetings, the last time Marlborough had won was way back in Season 2015-16. Shrewton’s fine record in the fixture continued on Tuesday night as they made it 13 wins in 15 with a comfortable 7-1 victory. Christian Boothe bagged a brace on his debut, Jake Connor also scoring twice and further goals from Craig Lewis, Rob Mitchell and Lee Weeks completed the scoring for the visitors, Zac Symon with his seventh of the season with the consolation goal for Marlborough. Shrewton’s next opponents are Trowbridge Town with whom they were involved in an entertaining 3-3 draw just a few weeks ago, whilst Marlborough take a break from league action when they entertain struggling Purton in the Wiltshire Senior Cup.
Wednesday night saw league leaders Pewsey Vale travel to Odd Down Reserves looking to preserve their 100% winning record. In winning all seven of their previous games they had conceded just one goal, although they had been pushed all the way on Saturday by Corsham. Their last visit to the Lew Hill Memorial Ground had been a tight affair and it so it proved again on Wednesday as the young Odd Down side went close to becoming the first side to take points from Pewsey. In the end a first half goal from Pewsey’s Eden Bunce was all that separated the two sides. The young Odd Down side went close on a number of occasions and in the end a combination of some sterling defensive work and some great saves from keeper Sam Tuttle (pictured below) prevented Odd Down from getting back on level terms. The Pewsey’s keeper best save of the night coming a minute from time which ensured the three points went back to Pewsey and their long winning run continued but they knew they had been severely tested by the young Odd Down side.
Calne Town Reserves started the night in second place in the table and looked pre-match favourites to continue their good start to the season since gaining promotion from the Trowbridge & District League against a Devizes Town Reserves side who had lost six of their opening seven games. However, with local derby games form can often go out of the window and with a number of managerial and player connections between the two clubs Calne were also made to work hard for the three points by their opponents. Goals from Jamal Chevelleau, netting for the eighth time this season, and Richard Hudson in the end secured the points for Calne in a 2-1 win, Cullen Wylie with the Devizes goal. Calne remained six points behind Pewsey in the table ahead of a trip to Salisbury FC Development on Saturday for what is shaping up to be an interesting game involving two of the in-form teams in the division. Devizes will go in search of their second win of the season on Saturday when they travel to Swindon to play Stratton Juniors.
Purton’s tough season continued on Wednesday night when they were trounced 19-0 by a Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development side in a result that nobody really wants to see. The Royal Wootton Bassett Town goals on the night were scored by Matt Bennett (7), Dale Richards (4), Tyler Sheppard (3), Ryan Withers (3), Zac Skinner and Zach Pettifer. The win meant Royal Wootton Bassett Town retained their 100% winning start to the season and moved above Calne on goal difference, Calne also having had a big win against Purton. Bassett remain six points adrift of leaders Pewsey Vale but with two games in hand. It is sad to see how the situation at Purton has declined so quickly but with a ten-day break from league action due to the Wiltshire Senior Cup hopefully they can re-group and come back stronger.

Adam Mitchell and Ben Wickens who opened and ended the scoring for Corsham in their 4-2 win over Malmesbury Vics Dev

(pictures courtesy of John Cuthbertson)

Corsham Town Development, now under the new management team of Tom Crawford and Dudley Philpott, lost narrowly at the leaders on Saturday, thus ending their mini unbeaten run which had stretched to five games and were keen to get their title challenge back on track against Malmesbury Vics Development. Their record against Malmsbury was a good one with seven wins and just one defeat in the previous nine league meetings, which included a league double over their visitors in last season’s curtailed campaign. That good record against Malmesbury was maintained but Corsham were made to work hard for the three points by an improving Malmesbury side. Corsham’s Adam Mitchell had opened the scoring before the divisions leading scorer Ben Wickens made it 2-0 to Corsham. Malmesbury’s summer signing from Purton Callum Hall pulled one back for Malmesbury but Will Stead restored Corsham’s two goal advantage ahead of the half time break. A seventh goal of the season from Harrison Archer after the restart saw Malmesbury move back to within one goal of the home side, but leading scorer Ben Wickens ensured a clean sweep for the top four sides on the night by adding a fourth for Corsham, his 12th of the season, 4-2 the final score. This Saturday sees Corsham at home to second placed Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development for what should be a good test of both sides’ title credentials.
10 September 2021
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