Wiltshire Senior League

Corsham Print

Wiltshire Senior League

Premier Division

Chasing Pack All Win

Josh Connolly (RWBT Dev), Jamie Jordan (Trowbridge Town) & Ben Wickens (Corsham Town Dev) who all scored the opener for their respective sides this afternoon

With league leaders Pewsey Vale seeing their game postponed this weekend due to Covid concerns in their scheduled opponents camp, the chasing pack of Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, Trowbridge Town and Corsham Town Development had the opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table and all three did not disappoint their supporters. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development started the day in second place in the table and had a tricky looking trip to the Weir Field to play a Wroughton side that had lost just twice in their last eleven games. It was a hard-fought battle between the two sides with the deadlock being broken just after the half hour mark, centre back Josh Connolly getting on the end of a Sam Ockwell free kick to head the visitors Royal Wootton Bassett in front. Five minutes later they doubled their lead when Bailey Gallagher scored a second for the visitors. Leading scorer Matt Bennett then had a guilt edged chance to put the visitors three up but was unable to convert and it remained 2-0 at the break. It remained an even contest in the second half with neither side creating any real clear-cut chances and the visitors held out for the win. For Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development that is now 12 games unbeaten with 11 victories in that sequence of games and having been awarded the three points for their unplayed fixture against Ludgershall Sports the win saw them move top of the table on goal difference. 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.

19-03-2022 Wroughton v Royal W. B. T Dev (WSL Prem)

Third placed Trowbridge Town were up against opponents they met in the first week of the season as they travelled to fifth placed Calne Town Reserves looking to complete a league double having won the first fixture 2-0. Jamie Jordan’s side were in a rich vein of form going into the game having recorded six straight wins and just one defeat in their last ten. In contrast Calne had picked up just one point in their last six games after a decent start to the season. Trowbridge were given a tough game though as form went out of the window in the opening half. Whilst player-manager Jordan put his side ahead with a spectacular shot from 20-yards into the top corner of the net, Calne were back on level terms on the half hour mark through Jack Coward with his third of the season and were very much on top for the remainder of the half. A much improved second half performance saw Trowbridge create a number of chances but were denied by some great saves from the Calne keeper. Trowbridge did eventually get the winner five minutes from time, Owen Pearce firing into the corner of the net after a neat through ball from Scott Baker. The win saw Trowbridge remain four points behind Royal Wootton Bassett Town having also been awarded points for an unplayed game against Ludgershall Sports, but having played three games more than the new leaders.

Another in-form side going into today's round of matches were Corsham Town Development who sat in fourth spot in the table and had won six of their last seven games including a 4-0 win at Stratton Juniors last week. This weekend they entertained a Marlborough Town side who they defeated 5-0 back in September but Marlborough have shown improvement in recent weeks and had lost just one of their last four league games going into today’s game. Marlborough’s Kieran Maidment has to had to play in goal in the last few weeks due to injury, but he certainly enjoyed his first game back out on the pitch to put his side two goals to the good in the opening seven minutes. Falling two goals behind was something of a wake-up call for the home side. Leading scorer Ben Wickens pulled one back before Jamie Cunning then fired in his seventh of the season to put his side on level terms at the break. Wickens then put his side in front for the first time in the game early in the second half, notching his 23rd goal of the season and a fourth from Joe Clayton made sure of the points making it seven wins in their last eight for Corsham as they remained in touch with the top three. Corsham were another side to accumulate an additional three points for the impact of Ludgershall Sports being unable to complete the season.

Corsham Town Development's Jamie Cunning who was also amongst the goals for Corsham against Marlborough Town

(picture John Cuthbertson, from Season 2020-21 v Malmesbury)

Frome Collegians were frustrated by yet another postponement by an opponent last weekend but returned to action this Saturday with a journey to the north of the county to meet fellow Somerset based side Odd Down Reserves with county pride also at stake. The sides had met three times in league meetings since Odd Down Reserves joined the league prior to today's game with one win apiece and one draw, that draw coming in the first meeting this season. That drawn game was another to take place in the first week of the season and a close game was anticipated again in the return in this local derby. Indeed, it was a tight and entertaining affair eventually settled in the 89th minute, Ben Bradley scoring the all-important goal with his first of the season. The game also saw a pitch invasion from a pheasant in the opening 15 minutes of the match, with referee Andy Meaden becoming probably the first referee to issue a red card to a pheasant in one of our games. The win for Odd Down gives them local bragging rights but they remain just below Frome in the table with Frome being another side to be awarded three points for an unplayed game against Ludgershall.

There was no points differential whatsoever between Salisbury FC Development and Malmesbury Victoria Development ahead of the first meeting between the two sides this season. Both sides have been somewhat off colour of late with Malmesbury having just the one win in their previous six before today and Salisbury having just the one win in their previous five games. Malmesbury certainly came out of the blocks quickly this afternoon, 16-year-old George Evatt putting them ahead in the very first minute of the game for his third goal of the season. Salisbury also fielded a youthful side with three 16-year-olds making their debuts and all performed well on their first outing for the club. Despite creating a number of chances Salisbury were unable to take any of the ones that came their way, and the game was finally put beyond them two minutes from time when Jordan Wright scored his first goal of the season to secure all three points for the visitors Malmesbury. The win saw Malmesbury climb a couple of places in the table to tenth spot, with just three points separating six sides in the congested middle part of the table.

After last week’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Corsham Town Development, Stratton Juniors entertained bottom side Purton this weekend. When the two sides met at the start of the season Stratton edged a close game 2-0 but both teams had changed managers and much of their playing personnel since that first meeting. In the end it was a comfortable win for the home side but once again credit to Purton for battling away to the end of the game. Corey Cullen led the way for Stratton, scoring four goals in their 10-0 win to take his tally for the season to 13. Moses Naisarani bagged a brace and there was one apiece for Ashley Ward, Oliver Surridge, Sam Lowrie with the other goal coming courtesy of an own goal.