Wiltshire Senior League

Corsham Print

Wiltshire Senior League

Premier Division

Top Four All Win

A full round of eight fixtures were played this weekend for the first time in the New Year. After dropping a couple of points last week against Frome Collegians, Pewsey Vale were keen to return to winning ways against a Calne Town Reserves side who had lost for the first time at home last week in their local derby with Corsham Town Development. Pewsey certainly came out of the blocks quickly establishing an impressive 3-0 half time lead. A spectacular strike from Gareth Robb set them on their way with the first goal of the game. Harry Hoareau, who was back available for Pewsey after a spell at Southern League Kidlington, made it 2-0 with a headed goal. Hoareau then netted again to make it 3-0, his second of the game coming after he shut down the Calne keeper and saw the keeper’s attempted clearance come back off him allowing him to fire the ball into the empty net for his 24th goal of the campaign. A much improved second half performance saw Calne get themselves get back into the game with a goal from Kian Fulford, his first of the season, Fulford the 24th different Calne player to score this season so far. Unfortunately for the home fans Calne were unable to find a second and Pewsey ran out 3-1 winners with the damage having been done in that first half. Calne will look to take to build on that second half performance when they visit Odd Down next week, whilst next up for Pewsey is a short trip to Ludgershall Sports.

Two more goals for Harry Hoareau in Pewsey's 3-1 win at Calne Town Reserves (picture courtesy of Dane Pollard)

It had been a close-run thing when Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Devizes Town met on the opening day of the season at the Gerard Buxton Ground, the home side edging it 2-1 to get their season off to a winning start. Devizes won their second game convincingly and it looked like they would have a much better season. However, the next 19 games would yield just one point before last week’s emphatic win over Purton gave them maximum points for only the second time this season. Things had been improving under new manager Duncan Sterling, their third boss of the season, even before that win last week and for the second time this season title chasing Royal Wootton Bassett Town were made to work hard for the points by Devizes. Dale Richards put the visitors ahead on the half hour mark and it remained 1-0 at the break. Leading scorer Matty Bennett extended the lead five minutes into the second half scoring his 27th of the season. Devizes played some decent football throughout the match without really creating any clear-cut chances as it finished 2-0 to Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. Next up for Royal Wootton Bassett is a local derby under lights against Malmesbury Victoria Development on Friday whilst Devizes travel to Marlborough Town.

Matt Bennett and Dale Richards who both scored in the 2-0 win at Devizes, the partnership is now just 3 goals short of 50 between them

Third placed Corsham Town Development went into their game against Salisbury FC Development after back-to-back wins against Devizes Town Reserves and Calne Town Reserves. Salisbury meanwhile had just one win in their last five games and have been slipping down the table as a result. When the two sides had met at the Southbank Ground back in September Corsham had edged a goal fest by the odd goal in seven. Whilst that first game had been full of goals the return in contrast was deliver just the one, a second half strike from Corsham’s leading scorer Ben Wickens securing all three points for the visitors and a 100% winning record for the month. The win for Corsham ensured the gap to the top two did not get any bigger and they will look to try and close it next week when they visit Shrewton United. Salisbury dropped a couple of places in the table to ninth as a result of the defeat and results elsewhere and have another tough looking fixture next week away to Trowbridge Town.

Ben Wickens who scored the only goal of the game to give Corsham Town Devlopment their win at Salisbury (Picture courtesy of John Cuthbertson)

With the top three all winning it was important that fourth placed Trowbridge Town maintained their recent good form against another in-form side, Wroughton. Jamie Jordan’s side had won four of their previous five games ahead of the visit of Wroughton but Wroughton themselves had an even better recent record, unbeaten in six, five of which had been won. That unbeaten run finally came to an end as Trowbridge completed a league double over their opponents, having won 3-1 at the Weir Field at the beginning of September. Player manager Jordan led from the front scoring twice in his sides’ 4-1 win, George Bendle and Ollie Dew with the other Trowbridge goals, Jordan and Bendle both taking their personal tally for the season into double figures. A seventh of the season for Luke Saunders for the visitors Wroughton. Trowbridge’s success meant all of the top four sides won on the day. Next up for Trowbridge is that visit from Salisbury FC Development, whilst Wroughton will look to bounce back when they visit bottom side Purton in a local derby at the Red House.

Trowbridge Town player manager Jamie Jordan who scored twice in his sides 4-1 win over Wroughton (picture courtesy of Martin Pearce)

Malmesbury Victoria Development were without a win in three ahead of the visit from a Ludgershall Sports side who Malmesbury had beaten 6-1 back in September. Malmesbury ended their barren run with a convincing win that saw them climb to seventh in the table. Two first half goals from Joe Tranter and a Dan Cole penalty gave Malmesbury a 3-1 lead at the break, Cameron Metcalfe scoring for Ludgershall. A second penalty from Cole after the restart extended the lead before Tranter completed his hat-trick and further goals from Connor Laidlaw and George Evatt saw Malmesbury end the game with seven, Ludgershall adding just one more with a second for Metcalfe as they game finished 7-2 to the home side in a match played in a sporting manner. Malmesbury have that local derby with Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development next Friday and Ludgershall have their own derby with that visit from the league leaders the following day.

Joe Tranter who hit a hat-trick in Malmesbury Victoria Development's 7-2 win over Ludgershall Sports

Melksham Town Reserves are on their best run of the season. They went into their game away at Stratton Juniors having won three on the spin. That run of winning games is now four for Craig Kent’s side after they were comfortable 6-1 winners at Meadowcroft. Tom Mack led the way firing in a hat-trick to double his tally for the season, Lenny Gale bagged a brace and Matt Caslin completed the scoring for the visitors, Ollie Surridge with the solitary Stratton Juniors goal. The win for Melksham saw them move above Salisbury FC Development into eighth spot level on points with Malmesbury Victoria Development and just a point behind Shrewton United, Melksham having a game in hand on both the two sides immediately above them in the table. Melksham are the odd one out next week without a game while Stratton are away to Frome Collegians.

On the subject of Frome Collegians, they are another in-form side and were up against a Marlborough Town team who they had defeated 4-1 at the Old Showfield Ground a fortnight ago. They completed a quickfire league double over their opponents, but it was a much closer affair in the return fixture, a solitary strike from Ollie Brook, with his seventh of the season, the difference between the two sides. The win saw Frome climb above Wroughton into 10th place level on points with Salisbury FC Development and two points behind Malmesbury and Melksham. Next up for Frome is that visit from Stratton Juniors, for Marlborough it is a visit from an improving Devizes Town Reserves side.

Biggest winners of the afternoon were Odd Down Reserves as they made it three wins in their last four with a 12-0 victory over struggling Purton. Purton manager Frankie Hunt was forced to don the goalkeepers’ gloves as he travelled to Bath with just twelve players. However, his side battled away and drew praise on social media from James Riccio in the opposite dugout but found the young Odd Down side too strong on the day. Angus Williamson led the way helping himself to four goals, Harvey Kendrick hit a hat-trick, leading scorer Charlie Saunders bagged a brace and there was one apiece for Lewis Dixon, Marley Carpenter and Ben Riccio. Odd Down are home again next week when Calne Town Reserves are the visitors and for Purton that local derby against Wroughton.

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