Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
   Premier Division
Big Wins For Both
The Top Two
Devizes Town Reserves played on two consecutive nights this week, requesting that their game against Pewsey Vale, their final game of the season originally scheduled for this Saturday, be brought forward to Wednesday night. The game against Pewsey was a tight affair for the first fifteen minutes with Devizes having slightly the better of things. However, once Pewsey got themselves in front there was only ever going to be one winner. Rory England opened the scoring with this sixth goal of the season and James Guthrie extended their lead from the penalty spot after a handling offence in the box. Devizes pulled a goal back but then had a player sent to the sin-bin. Pewsey were unable to take advantage of the numerical advantage but ironically when Devizes returned to having a full complement of players, Pewsey added two late goals before the interval. Lee Himsworth got on the end of a corner to make it 3-1 and James Guthrie then made it 4-1 with his second of the game, taking his total for the season to 31 in the process. The second half saw Pewsey score twice more, youngster Jude Cawley making it 5-1 before Ryan Thomas rounded-off the night’s scoring, reacting quickest to a loose ball in the box and firing in to make the final score 6-1. 
Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development went into their game with Stratton Juniors on the back of a run of fifteen unbeaten games, 14 of which had been won, and in a confident mood. There was only going to be one winner after a first half that saw them lead 5-0 and their opponents were reduced to ten men. Dale Richards set the league leaders on their way, tapping in after the Stratton keeper saved a Gio Wrona effort. Richards added a second shortly after heading in from a Matt Bennett cross. Bennett then got himself on the score sheet from the penalty spot to make it 3-0 after he himself had been upended in the box. A further goal from Bennett following a solo run and a deflected effort from Sam Ockwell saw the home side leading 5-0. The only blemish on the half for the home side was an injury late on that resulted in Jon Beeden being stretchered off with a leg injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season following a late challenge that saw the Stratton Junior player dismissed. There was no let up after the break, Matt Bennett adding a sixth when his cross to the far post was missed by both Tyler Sheppard and Dale Richards but ended up in the net. A first goal of the season for Ben Spackman, heading in a George Lance cross made it 7-0. Two more for Bennett the first of which was the goal of the night when he fired in from the edge of the box after a move that saw 22 passes before Bennett's powerful shot. Further goals from Ryan Withers and Sam Ockwell made it 11-0 before Bennett rounded-off a great night for the division’s leading scorer when he fired into the top corner to complete a 12-0 victory over the Swindon based side. Your Sport Swindon were at the game and the highlights can be viewed by clicking on the link below or using the link from the Your Sport Swindon page on the website.

Ben Spackman who scored his first of the season against Stratton Juniors

Sam Ockwell who scored twice in the 12-0 win over Stratton Juniors

There were two games on Tuesday night this week as well and they resulted in Melksham Town Reserves and Salisbury FC Development both climbing a couple of places in the league table.  The game between Melksham Town Reserves and Devizes Town Reserves at the Oakfield Stadium saw Melksham forced into playing outfield player Tom Arliss in goal with regular keeper Harry Pickering not available. Arliss had little to do in the first half as the sides turned round at the break after an uneventful first half with the game still looking for its first goal. It was a different story in the second half though as both sides stepped up their game. Melksham Town found themselves 2-0 up just after the hour mark. A 20-yard low shot from Tom Mack that nestled just inside the post put Melksham 1-0 up, the goal taking Mack into double figures for the season. Melksham extended their lead when Aaron Masson finished off a one-on-one after being set clear of the defence. Finding themselves two goals down Devizes responded well and Cullen Wylie pulled one back with twenty minutes to go after the Melksham back line failed to clear. The same player added a second for Devizes a minute later his header bouncing in front of stand-in keeper Arliss who was only able to palm the ball into the net for 2-2. With momentum going their way Devizes sensed a real chance for three points and had a number of shots at the stand-in keeper but were unable to get that elusive third goal. In the end it was to be the home side Melksham who took all three points, a shot from debutant Sam Alford coming back off the bar and 17-year-old Tom Dowell diving to head the rebound into the net for 3-2 and his first Senior level goal for the club. The win lifted Melksham up to seventh, one point behind both Calne Town Reserves and Shrewton United with all three sides having one game to go in the battle for fifth spot which also involves From Town Collegians who are two points behind Melksham with three games to play.

Melksham's Tom Arliss who played in goal in their 3-2 win over Devizes Town Res

The same night Salisbury FC Development travelled to Calne Town Reserves with leading scorer Devon Arnold back in their squad. They had certainly missed Arnold’s goals following his call up Steve Claridge’s Southern League side and he was to have a pivotal role in the outcome of this match. Trailing to a Calne Town Reserves goal scored by Samuel Taliss, Arnold put his side back on level terms a minute before the break after a shot from the edge of the box was saved by the Calne keeper but the ball fell to Arnold who was following up and he made no mistake to level matters up. Having scored a minute before the break, Salisbury got a second a minute after the restart, Arnold mishitting a shot from outside the box along the ground which found its way into the bottom corner of the net for 2-1. That was to be the end of the night’s scoring as Salisbury secured back-to-back wins after also defeating Wroughton on Saturday. The win saw them climb two places in the table to tenth place. Calne, who fielded three players from their Under 18 side on Tuesday night as they look ahead to next season, remained in fifth spot, with just that one game to play which is away to Malmesbury Victoria Development. They now have Shrewton United, Melksham Town Reserves and Frome Collegians all breathing down their necks for that fifth place finish in the table.

League Table, Results & Top Scorers

 

Next Fixtures



Saturday 16th April 2022

(all 3:00PM Kick-offs)

Corsham Town Dev v Stratton Juniors

Malmesbury Vics Dev v Salisbury FC Dev

Odd Down Res v Wroughton

Trowbridge Town v Royal W. Bassett Town Dev

14 April 2022
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