Wiltshire Senior League

Corsham Print

Wiltshire Senior League

Premier Division

Royal W. Bassett Town Dev

Leave It Late

Action from today's game between Royal W. Bassett Town Development & Frome Collegians

This weekend’s games in the Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League got underway on Friday night under lights at The Flying Monk Ground where Malmesbury Vics Development entertained title chasing Pewsey Vale. Malmesbury went into the game with the honour of being one of only two sides that had beaten Pewsey this season, winning 5-2 at the Recreation Ground back in September. In a tight first half the two sides turned round at the break with the game still looking for its first goal. The deadlock was broken just before the hour mark, Pewsey’s James Guthrie scoring from the penalty spot with his 29th of the season. However, Pewsey were to suffer the agony of a late Malmesbury Vics Dev equaliser. A powerfully hit back pass to Pewsey keeper Louie Latouche saw him control the ball but was quickly shut down by George Evatt and his attempted clearance ricocheted into the six-yard box where Gareth Jones stooped to head in making it 1-1 two minutes from the end of normal time. Pewsey thought they had regained the lead almost straight away when James Guthrie volleyed in from the edge of the six-yard box, but an assistant referee’s flag saw the goal disallowed and it finished all square at 1-1. Whilst the point gained saw them move back top of the table overnight and guarantees them a top two finish, they will probably be looking at this as two points dropped in their battle with Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development for the league title. Malmesbury Vics recorded the game with Pewsey on their Veo camera and can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

09-04-2022 Malmesbury Vics Dev v Pewsey Vale (WSL Prem)

Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, Pewsey’s rivals for the title, were home to a Frome Collegians side on Saturday who they had defeated back in September following an impressive second half showing which saw them emerge 5-0 winners with all five goals coming in that second half. It was a much closer affair in the return match at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground. Whilst the home side had much of the possession in the first half, they found an organised Frome side very difficult to break down. They finally made the break-through after 37 minutes, Tyler Sheppard getting on the end of a Gio Wrona corner to make it 1-0 to Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. Five minutes later the home side extended their lead a powerful shot from just outside the box from Nick Mason was superbly turned onto the upright of the goal by Frome keeper Ben Forrester but unfortunately for him the ball rebounded to Dale Richards who was following up and who bundled the ball into the net for his 31st of the season to make it 2-0 at the break. The home side thought they had extended the lead ten minutes into the second half when Jon Beeden headed powerfully into the net but a flag from the assistant referee saw the goal disallowed. Shortly after Dale Richards went close to getting a second, his powerful shot coming back off a post and the danger was cleared by the Frome defence. Frome got themselves back into the game just after the hour mark, Barry Sandquest getting his head to a cross from the right, but the home keeper Simon Notman should have done better with the header, seeing the ball agonisingly go through his legs and into the net for 2-1. The goal lifted Frome who started to have more of the possession, but it was the home side who went close to extending their lead, Matt Bennett seeing his powerful shot come back off the crossbar. Frome continued to probe away and were rewarded with a second when another error from keeper Notman saw Max Biddescombe level matters up twenty minutes from time. Frome were now in the ascendancy and captain Sandquest went close to giving them the lead for the first time in the match when his free kick from outside the box went inches wide of the near post. However, there was to be late drama at the other end. With the game deep into injury time, some great skill down the right-hand side by Matt Bennett saw him put a tantalising cross into the box that was met on the volley by Jon Beeden and flew into the net for 3-2. There was still time for another great chance for the home side, a ball over the top found Bennett clear of the defence but his powerful shot was well turned away by Forrester in the Frome goal to leave the final score 3-2. Royal Wootton Bassett had been pushed all the way by an organised Frome side who on another day could easily have left with a point. The win saw Royal Wootton Bassett move back to the top of the table. Your Sport Swindon were at the game and the of highlights of the match can be viewed by clicking on the link below or from the link on the Your Sport Swindon page of the website.

09-04-22 Royal W.B. T Dev v Frome Collegians (WSL Prem)

Barry Sandquest who scored one for Frome Collegians in their 3-2 defeat & went close to getting a second with a free-kick in the 2nd half

Tyler Sheppard who opened the scoring for for Royal W. Bassett Town Dev in their 3-2 win over Frome Collegians

Shrewton United were playing their final home game of the season with Devizes Town Reserves the visitors to the Recreation Ground. Shrewton’s form at home has been decent all season with just four defeats in their other 15 games ahead of this weekend’s game, with three of those defeats being at the hands of sides in the top four. They also came into the game in good form having gone five games unbeaten and with just two defeats in their last ten matches. Devizes in contrast came into the game looking to end a three-game losing run and knew they needed to win all three of their remaining fixtures if they were to climb out of the bottom three. The game very much went to form with Shrewton hitting five unanswered goals to extend their unbeaten run to six games. Taylor Jewell led the way scoring twice, his first goals for Shrewton this season, and there were further goals from Dalitso Mandson, Jack Oliver and Matthew Wheeler. The win saw Shrewton climb a couple of places in the table to sixth spot. Shrewton have just the one game to play now at the end of the month against Malmesbury Vics Dev whilst Devizes finish their season with two games on consecutive days in midweek at their request against Melksham Town Reserves and Pewsey Vale.

Melksham Town Reserves are having something of a roller-coaster of a season. After going six games unbeaten at the start of the calendar year, five of which were won, they come into this weekend’s fixture against Stratton Juniors having lost four on the bounce. After a disastrous first half last Saturday, which saw Craig Kent’s side lose their goalkeeper to a head injury and three other players to injury, the Melksham manager was hoping for some better fortune this weekend against a Stratton side who have turned their season around in recent weeks with four wins in their last six games going into their visit to the Oakfield Stadium. It was to be Melksham’s afternoon as they finally ended that mini-barren run. Lenny Gale put them ahead on 25 minutes and then extended their lead with a second five minutes later. There were further chances for both sides with most falling the way of Melksham, but they found the Stratton keeper Jon Gobey in superb form and were unable to add further goals thanks to a string of stunning saves from the Stratton keeper as it finished 2-0. Stratton now have a tough run in with five games against sides that all currently sit at the top end of the table starting with a midweek visit to the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground on Wednesday when they meet league leaders Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development.

With just one win in their previous eight games, Salisbury FC Development have fallen down the table after a great start to the season and started the day two places and five points below today’s opponents Wroughton. Wroughton were 3-1 winners when the sides met at the Weir Field back in November and in contrast to Salisbury have had a much better second half of the season and are still eying up a top half of the table finish after spending much of the season in the bottom half of the table. It was the visitors Wroughton who took the lead on 23 minutes, Luke Adams with his first of the season. Salisbury got themselves back on level terms just after the half-hour mark, Ed Timberley netting for the ninth time this season to make it all square at the break. It remained a tight affair in the second half, but it was home side Salisbury who were to take the three points, Lewis Cross getting on the end of an excellent ball into the box from Dylan Roocroft to make it 2-1 to Salisbury. Whilst Salisbury remained in 12th spot after the win, they did move to within a point of Malmesbury Vics Development and now just two behind Wroughton, with games in hand over both the two sides immediately above them in the table. They will look to make it back-to-back wins when they travel to Calne Town Reserves on Tuesday night.