Wiltshire Senior League

Corsham Print

Wiltshire Senior League

Premier Division

Trowbridge Smash A Century

Trowbridge Town Season 2021-22

(picture courtesy of Gary Coldicott)

After last week saw Storms Dudley and Eunice cause all but one of the scheduled fixtures to be postponed it is pleasing to report all eight of this week’s scheduled games went ahead on Saturday.

League leaders Pewsey Vale were the odd one out with no scheduled fixture this weekend, giving the chasing pack the chance to close the gap at the top of the table. Second in the table Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development were involved in the top game of the weekend with the visitors to the Gerard Buxton Ground being fourth placed Corsham Town Development. Both teams went into the game in good form, Royal Wootton Bassett were unbeaten in nine, eight of which have been won, whilst Corsham came into the game on the back of four straight wins since the turn of the year. It was a tight contest between two very good sides, and they went into the half time break with the game still looking for its first goal. The home side had the best chance of the half right on the stroke of half time when they were awarded a penalty, but Nathan Hawkins saw his spot kick saved by Corsham stand-in keeper Chay Forrester as the two sides turned round with the score still 0-0. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development came out of the blocks strongly after the break and found themselves 2-0 up within the first ten minutes of the restart. Matt Bennett broke the deadlock with his 30th of the season and then went from scorer to provider as he set up the second goal for his strike partner Dale Richards. Visitors Corsham pulled one back 20 minutes from time through Dan Sibley, but the home side restored the two-goal advantage almost immediately, Dale Richards hitting a stunning goal for 3-1 and that is how it remained as the home side secured the three points which saw then move to within six points of the leaders with two games in hand. They have another tough game next week when they travel to take on a Trowbridge Town side who sit just behind them in the table. Your Sport Swindon were at the game and highlights can be viewed by subscribers by clicking on the link below or on the link on the Your Sport Swindon page of the League website.

26-02-2022 RWBT Dev v Corsham Town Dev (WSL Prem )

Dale Richards (2) and Matt Bennett who both scored in Royal W. Bassett Town Dev's 3-1 win over Corsham Town Dev

Third placed Trowbridge Town were also looking to close the gap to the league leaders as they made the trip to the Red House to play bottom of the table Purton. Having won 11-0 in the home game against the same opponents Trowbridge would have been confident of keeping their fine run going that had seen them win seven of their last eight games ahead of the game. Purton, whilst buoyed by last week’s second win of the season away at Ludgershall, knew they were in for another tough afternoon and so it proved as they fell to another heavy defeat against the division’s leading goal scorers. Trowbridge smashed 14 unanswered goals to become the first team this season to score over 100 goals. Leading scorer Scott Baker led the way helping himself to five more goals to move his total for the season to 34 and leadership of the division’s goal scoring chart. Three players bagged a brace, strike partner Mark Robinson, Jordan Pinder and player manager Jamie Jordan all netting twice. Further goals from George Walker-Wiltshire, George Bendle and Ollie Dew completed the scoring for a rampant Trowbridge side ahead of next week's big encounter with Royal Wootton Bassett Town Dev.

Mark Robinson and Scott Baker whose partnership for Trowbridge this season now exceeds 50 goals, Baker is on 34 and Robinson on 20 for the season

(picture courtesy of Martin Pearce)

Calne Town Reserves had remained in fifth spot in the table despite going on a poor run which had seen them lose four games in a row and fail to score in three of those games. Opponents Shrewton United were one of six clubs on 37 points at the start of the day and were looking to avenge a 5-1 defeat on the opening day of the season. In the end the two evenly matched sides fought out a 1-1 draw as Calne finally ended their losing run. Cameron Lee put Calne ahead with a simple tap in after good set up play by Rory Davis and Calne led 1-0 at the break. Calne came out strongly in the second half but were unable to add to their tally and Shrewton drew level when Craig Lewis fired in for his seventh of the season to make it honours even with the points being shared. The point for Shrewton saw them move up to ninth place in the table whilst Calne remained in fifth place.

Craig Lewis who equalised for Shrewton Utd in their 1-1 draw with Calne Town Reserves

Salisbury FC Development finally returned to winning form in their last game with a comfortable win against Devizes Town Reserves. This weekend they entertained a Stratton Juniors side who they defeated 4-2 in the first meeting between the sides at the beginning of November at Meadowcroft. After a hard fought 1-0 win over Wroughton in their last game Stratton were looking to get a winning run together. Salisbury started the game brightly and had most of the early possession, but it was visitors Stratton who went ahead against the run of play on 12 minutes. Stratton won the ball in midfield and fed a pass down the flank to Moses Naisarani who was making his return from injury, his cross found Corey Cullen who chested the ball down and slotted it past the Salisbury keeper for 1-0. Salisbury continued to have most of the play and were back on level terms around the half hour mark, Max Allen scoring his first of the season and it remained 1-1 at the break. The second half continued in a similar vein to the first with Salisbury FC Development dominating possession but without really creating too many clear-cut chances, with both their two leading scorers having been called up to the first team. They went behind again ten minutes from time, the goal coming from Stratton’s first and only corner of the match, the kick from Cullen finding Alex Hiscock at the far post who powered a header into the goal for what turned out to be the winner for his side. For Stratton that was back-to-back wins for only the second time this season. Whilst it is the goal scorers who generally get the name checks, Stratton manager Neil Lee noted after the game that it was the defensive performance that pleased him the most in their latest win, with Alex Hiscock and Sam Lowrie both having outstanding games at the heart of the defence for the visitors. The defeat for Salisbury saw them drop four places in the table to tenth place.

Stratton Juniors who picked up an excellent 2-1 away win at Salisbury FC Development this afternoon

(picture courtesy of Neil Lee)

Malmesbury Victoria Development picked up a valuable point away from home against Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development in their last outing and were hoping to build on that when they travelled to Nursteed Drive to take on a young Devizes Town Reserves side who had been well beaten in their last game against Salisbury FC Development. Malmesbury had won 6-2 in the first meeting of the two sides at the end of September and were looking to complete a league double over Devizes but, with a number of key players missing, were deservedly beaten by the young, hardworking Devizes side. The teams turned round at half time with the score still 0-0 but both sides got on the score sheet within the first ten minutes of the second half. Devizes went in front thanks to a goal from Archie Heggarty before being pegged back by a 17th of the season from Malmesbury’s Joe Tranter. Two quick fire goals in the closing stages of the match ensured a fourth win of the season for Devizes, Ollie Sterling putting them 2-1 up before a third from Cullen Wylie made sure of all three points. The win for Devizes saw them climb above Ludgershall Sports in the table on goal difference as they also moved to within four points of Marlborough Town with two games in hand.

Devizes Town Res celebrate their first goal in the 3-1 win over Malmesbury and Cullen Wylie puts away the 3rd goal to secure the points

(pictures courtesy of Martin Stokes)

The game at the Old Showfield, Frome saw two in-form sides go head-to-head when Frome Collegians entertained Melksham Town Reserves. Both teams went into the game unbeaten in five games, both having won four of those five games. Lee Handford put the home side ahead in the first ten minutes with his third goal of the season, but young 17-year-old Lenny Gale had his side back on level terms not long after with a well taken goal, the third consecutive game he has scored in. Melksham went ahead for the first time from the penalty spot, and it was another player scoring for the third game in a row, Tom Mack putting the spot kick away for 2-1. Melksham were to be two goals to the good before the break, Tom Arliss firing in a free kick from 25-yards out to make it 3-1 to the visitors. With the wind behind them in the second half Frome would have been confident of getting themselves back into the game but the onslaught that visiting manager Craig Kent expected did not happen and his side safely saw out the second half with a returning Jake Farrell adding a fourth as Melksham ran out 4-1 winners to avenge a 5-2 home defeat they had suffered earlier in the season. The victory saw them climb a couple of places to sixth spot, three points behind Calne Town Reserves and with a game in hand. Frome Collegians dropped one place to 12th as a result of the defeat.

Tom Arliss who scored the 3rd from a free kick in Melksham's 4-1 win at Frome

Ludgershall Sports played their penultimate home game of the season as they hosted a Wroughton side who were looking to bounce back from that defeat against Stratton Juniors in their last game. Wroughton won 4-2 in the first meeting against Ludgershall back in September and were aiming to complete a league double over their opponents. With the prolific former Cricklade Town and Shrivenham striker Jonathan Peachey-Score having recently joined Wroughton, they have certainly added additional fire power to their attack since the turn of the year. Having scored three times in his two appearances before this afternoon’s game, Peachey-Score added four more to his total as Wroughton finished comfortable 7-1 winners to complete that league double. Luke Saunders added two more to his total as he moved onto nine for the season and a goal from Will Middler completed the scoring for Wroughton. Luke Holden scored the consolation goal for Ludgershall from the penalty spot with his eighth of the season. The win saw Wroughton move up five places in the league table to seventh spot, their highest position this season as the impressive transformation under joint managers Craig Jones and Ben Jarrett continues.

This week Odd Down Reserves announced that team manager James Riccio would be standing down at the end of the season, the news coming as his side were in their best form of the season, having won five of their last six games ahead of their trip to Marlborough Town. The two sides had drawn 0-0 on the opening day of the season but Marlborough had been on a difficult run which had seen them lose nine straight games, finally ending that torrid run in their last outing when they picked up a useful point away at Melksham Town Reserves. On a difficult heavy pitch at Elcot Lane it was another close contest. Home team Marlborough, who were another side playing their penultimate home fixture this weekend, took the lead on 25 minutes. However, Odd Down were back on level terms by the half hour mark, James Payton notching his third of the season for the visitors. Having travelled with just the bare eleven plus himself, manager Riccio was forced to bring himself on after the break but there was to be no further goals as the two sides had to settle for a point apiece for the second time this season. For Marlborough that is now two games unbeaten ahead of Tuesday’s tough looking re-scheduled Wiltshire Senior Cup semi-final against Wessex League side Bemerton Heath Harlequins.