Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Top Four All Win On A Day
Which Sees 50 Goals In Total
There was a full programme of games in the Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League this weekend. League leaders Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development travelled into Swindon to play Stratton Juniors at Meadowcroft with Stratton now under new management, former Purton manager Neil Lee leaving Swindon & District League side Redhouse to join them. Stratton have had a tough start to the new season and were hoping that the new manager would give them a quick uptick in their fortunes. Royal Wootton Bassett went into the game defending the division’s only unbeaten record and they maintained that record with a 4-0 win that flattered the league leaders after they were given a tough time by the hard-working Stratton side. The game remained without a goal until after the hour mark and the deadlock was finally broken from the penalty spot, but at the third time of asking. Twice Tyler Sheppard had his spot kick saved but twice the referee ordered the kick to be retaken for the goalkeeper moving off his line. It was third time lucky for Royal Wootton Bassett but they had to change the penalty taker for that outcome, Matt Bennett taking over the responsibility and putting the penalty away. It remained just the one until ten minutes from time and then Bennett helped himself to hat-trick in those closing minutes of the game to end the match with four goals and take his tally for the season to 19. Royal Wootton Bassett Town manager Stephen Yeardley commented after the game that Stratton had played really well, showed a lot of character throughout and made it difficult for his side. 

“The final score flattered us really, they worked really hard and made it difficult for us. If they can put that side out each week and play like that they will take points off a lot of teams.” he said. 

Second in the table Pewsey Vale had gone three games without a win but ended that barren spell with a comfortable 8-1 success at home against Devizes Town Reserves. Leading scorer Harry Hoareau was the star of the show, a first half hat-trick putting his side in the ascendency. Devizes pulled a goal back just before half time from the penalty spot, but it was one way traffic after the break as Pewsey added five more goals. Hoareau added two more to make it five in the match and 18 for the season for the young Pewsey striker, with goals from Wes Britten, Zak Messenger and veteran Ryan Banks completing the scoring. Next Saturday sees the top two Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development and Pewsey Vale go head-to-head when Pewsey visit the Gerard Buxton Ground.

 Youngster Harry Hoareau (picture courtesy of Dane Pollard) who scored five in Pewsey Vale's 8-1 win over Devizes Town Res

and the experienced Ryan Banks who was also on the score sheet.

Calne Town Reserves had been without a game for the last two Saturdays but had remained in third spot ahead of their trip to Elcot Lane to play a Marlborough Town side that were on a difficult run and were four games without a win after a promising start to the season. Calne showed no adverse side effects from their period of inactivity securing a 5-1 win thanks to a hat-trick from Rhys Talmash, who moved into double figures for the season, and further goals from Kassa Anderson and Jake Brand. Whilst not amongst the goal scorers, Jordan Kirk had a good day for the visitors setting up four of the Calne goals. Marlborough’s solitary effort also came courtesy of a Calne player with an own goal. 
After last week’s high scoring draw with Malmesbury Victoria Development, that saw fourth placed Corsham Town Development come back from 4-1 down with ten men to secure a point, joint managers Tom Crawford and Dudley Philpott were hoping that their side could carry on where they left off in the second half last week when they made the visit to Ludgershall Sports. Ludgershall went into the game buoyed by last week’s first win of the season against Purton plus the fact that they have been something of a bogey side for Corsham in recent seasons, having won 11 of the last 17 league meetings between the sides. However, they would also have been mindful that Corsham did inflict a heavy 10-0 defeat on Ludgershall in last season’s Fountain Trophies Cup in the last meeting between the sides. Whilst not quite as heavy as last season’s cup defeat Corsham did carry on where they left off last week and in that last encounter with Ludgershall scoring five unanswered goals. On this occasion the goals were shared around the side with one goal apiece for leading scorer Ben Wickens, Adam Mitchell, Corey Harbour-Burgess, Max Wyatt and Jamie Cunning. The win for Corsham meant that all of the top four sides were winners this weekend. 
Malmesbury Victoria Development were on a tremendous run going into their trip to Trowbridge Town, unbeaten in their previous five games, four of which had been won, and few would have predicted the final score at Woodmarsh this afternoon. Trowbridge put in one of their best performances of the season to completely outclass the visitors winning 8-1. Jordan Pinder, playing only his second game of the season for Trowbridge, helped himself to a hat-trick, Scott Baker bagged a brace and there were further goals from Mark Robinson, George Bendle and Josh Howlett. The solitary response from a shell shocked Malmesbury side coming from James Archer.
Two sides who were having their best runs of the season, Wroughton and Shrewton United met at the Weir Field. Going into the match Wroughton had won their last three games and were unbeaten in four, whilst Shrewton had won their last five league games to climb to sixth place in the table. It is Wroughton who are celebrating extending their winning run tonight after a whirlwind first half showing put the game beyond the visitors by half time. Leading scorer Josh Barnfield set them on their way before Luke Saunders added a second, the same two players having also scored the previous week in Wroughton’s 2-1 win over Devizes. A second of the game from Barnfield before the interval saw Wroughton lead 3-0 at the break. A further goal in the second half from Scott Stone, his second of the season, completing an impressive home win for Wroughton. Commenting after the game joint Wroughton manager Ben Jarrett noted his side had been “brilliant form the first minute to the last” and fully deserved their win over a good Shrewton side. 
The game at the Lew Hill Memorial Stadium saw the two sides with the youngest playing squads, Odd Down Reserves and Salisbury FC Development, go head-to-head. Both sides went into the match in decent form, Odd Down were unbeaten in their last three games, whilst Salisbury had a big 6-1 win in their last away fixture at Melksham Town Reserves. It was a tight affair in the opening half, with both sides playing some good football. Aiden Savage put visitors Salisbury ahead getting on the end of a cross from Devon Arnold. Ben Riccio put the home side back on level terms but goals from Salisbury’s Will Waterson and Layton Tulk gave the score a somewhat flattering look to it at the break as the visitors went into the interval 3-1 up. Whilst Odd Down had matched the visitors in the opening forty-five, they were blown away in a short space of time after the restart, Salisbury’s leading scorer Devon Arnold helping himself to a quickfire hat-trick to put his side 6-1 up, as Arnold took his total for the season to 17. A penalty from Charlie Saunders for Odd Down added more respectability to the final score line for the home side in what had been a good game, with Arnold once again the match winner for Salisbury as he has been on a number of occasions this season. 
Purton were the only side in the division still looking for their first points of the season ahead of the visit of Frome Collegians and they must have been dreading being on the wrong end of another big score when they trailed 5-0 at the break. However, Purton rallied second half and, whilst not scoring any of their own, kept a clean sheet in the second half which will no doubt give them great encouragement ahead of next week’s important clash with Devizes Town Reserves. Leading scorer Barry Sandquest set Frome on the way with the opener before goals from Lawrence Ludgate and Oliver Brook made it 3-0. A second of the game from Sandquest who headed in for his sixth goal of the season made it 4-0 before another headed goal, this time from George Holland just before the half time interval gave Frome that 5-0 lead at the break. 
9 October 2021
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