Wiltshire Senior League

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Wiltshire Senior League

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Gap to Leaders

RWBT Dev who moved to within 6 points of leaders Pewsey with a narrow 1-0 win over Trowbridge Town

After a wet start to the New Year, this weekend finally saw more games played than were postponed with six of the eight scheduled games this weekend taking place. Unfortunately, on Friday night, whilst the pitch at Pewsey beat the wet weather the floodlights did not, and the game between Pewsey Vale and Stratton Juniors was forced to be postponed by the referee due to floodlight failure. Of the seven games scheduled for Saturday, just the game at Shrewton United was postponed with one area of the pitch still frozen at the time of the midday pitch inspection meaning the match against Salisbury FC Development had to be called off.

The big game at the weekend was at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground where second in the table Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development were home to the team just below them in the table, Trowbridge Town. Jamie Jordan’s Trowbridge side came into the game in free-scoring form, having hit 24 goals in winning their previous three games, whilst Royal Wootton Bassett Town have also not been shy in front of goal this season and were averaging just short of five goals per game. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development also have the meanest defence in the division, conceding just eleven goals in their previous 17 games and it was always likely to be a tight affair with limited goals despite the two sides potency in front of goal and so it proved. In a tight first half the teams turned round at half time with the game still looking for a goal. The second half continued in a similar vein and the deadlock was finally broken on 65 minutes. Jon Beeden heading in from a George Lance corner. The linesman flagged for offside with Tyler Sheppard close to the goalkeeper but was overruled by the referee who allowed the goal to stand. Trowbridge pressed hard for an equaliser while Bassett also had further chances to wrap up victory, but both Matt Bennett and Ryan Withers missed chances they would normally put away on a day when the two normally free-scoring sides were poor in front of goal. The visitors Trowbridge also had a man sent off late on for denying a goalscoring chance when substitute Nathaniel Bell was brought down on the edge of the box. The win for Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development was only their second in the last ten meetings against Trowbridge and saw them close the gap to leaders Pewsey Vale to six points with two games in hand and with a superior goal difference which could yet prove important come the end of the season. Trowbridge dropped a couple of places following the defeat due to results elsewhere and realistically now cannot afford to drop too many more points in their own quest for honours. Your Sport Swindon were at the game and a link to the highlights footage will be available later both here and on the Your Sport Swindon page on the league website.

15-01-22 Royal W. B. T. Dev v Trowbridge T (WSL Prem)

Jon Beeden who scored the only goal of the game for RWBT Dev against Trowbridge Town (picture courtesy of Steve Green)

Calne Town Reserves moved up to third place in the table courtesy of a 5-2 win in an ill-tempered affair against Malmesbury Victoria Development which saw Calne have a player dismissed in the opening 20 minutes of the game. Despite the numerical disadvantage Calne still had enough to make sure of the three points, goals from Emmanuel Ali, Tom Boakes, Charlie Strickland, Kassa Anderson and George Bettles securing the win. On target for visitors Malmesbury were Connor Laidlaw and Danny Cook.

Corsham Town Reserves also climbed a place in the table after a hard fought 2-1 win over a much-improved Devizes Town Reserves side. For the second week running new Devizes manager Duncan Sterling saw his side push their opponents all the way, eventually falling to a single goal margin for the second consecutive Saturday. Two first half goals from Lewis McCarron, the second from the penalty spot, did the damage for Corsham, Liam Moffat with the Devizes Town Reserves goal. For Devizes that is now eleven straight defeats and no win in 19 but the past two week’s performances have shown that the second win of the season cannot be too far away. It may well come next Saturday when they visit Purton, the other side struggling at the bottom of the table, but Purton are also showing sides of improvement ahead of what should be an interesting battle next Saturday.

Wroughton are one of the in-form teams in the division and they went into today’s home game against bottom of the table Purton unbeaten in five and with their recent impressive run yielding 26 points out of a possible 33 from their last 11 league games. In complete contrast, Purton had lost nine in a row and had won just once in their 19 games ahead of their visit to the Weir Field. Purton, like Devizes, are clearly starting to turn things round and made Wroughton work hard for the points this afternoon, Wroughton taking the three points courtesy of a 5-2 win. Both Kris Redford and Luke Saunders bagged a brace and a goal from Luigi Hernandez for the second consecutive week secured the win for Wroughton, Morgan Francis and Mike Prinzi replying for Purton. As a result of this latest win Wroughton will go into next week’s encounter with second in the table Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development in confident mood.

The two Somerset based sides, Frome Collegians and Odd Down Reserves, are both starting to pick up and both closed the gap to the sides above them in the table with another win this afternoon. Frome Collegians entertained a Marlborough Town side who they did not play last season but had beaten and drawn with them in Season 2019-20. They maintained their unbeaten run against the side from Elcot Lane thanks to a 4-1 win. Two goals for Frome captain Barry Sandquest, who moved into double figures for the season, with further goals for the home side from Theo Sing and Alex Pippard, who scored his third for his new club following his transfer from Trowbridge Town at the end of October. Harry Womersley with the Marlborough Town goal.

Barry Sandquest who scored twice in Frome Collegians 4-1 win over Marlborough Town

Odd Down Reserves had won three of their last four league games ahead of the visit of Ludgershall Sports. Odd Down went into the game against Ludgershall with former Bath and England rugby international Matt Banahan donning the goalkeeper gloves for James Riccio’s young side. The former rugby player not only kept an impressive clean sheet but also offered great guidance and advice to the young Odd Down side throughout the match. Angus Williamson put Odd Down 1-0 in front after ten minutes but then spurned the chance to extend the lead on 35 minutes, missing from the penalty spot. Ludgershall pushed the home side hard for an equaliser but Odd Down eventually extended their lead on 65 minutes thanks to a Tom Ricketts goal. The game was finally put beyond Ludgershall ten minutes later when Ricketts scored his second of the game to make it 3-0 and there were to be no further goals as Banahan recorded that clean sheet and Odd Down continued that recent good form ahead of next week’s trip to Melksham Town Reserves who now sit just two points ahead of them in the table.