Redhouse who went top of the North Wiltshire Division
The half term holidays impacted the Veterans’ competitions with the two scheduled games in the Wiltshire FA Veterans’ Cup having to be rescheduled. As a result, there were just three games in the Mid Wiltshire Division this week all impacting the top end of the table.
League leaders Melksham Town
were one of the sides in action and they had a comfortable evening, strolling to a big 11-1 home win over Amesbury Junior Badgers. Both Tom Staddon and Simon Charity helped themselves to hat-tricks, Ian Dowell bagged a brace and Barry Holloway, Kai Miller and Richard Siekiera all scored one apiece, Amesbury’s consolation goal was scored by Ben Hammett-Brady. The win for Melksham maintained their unbeaten start to the season and with results elsewhere on the night they extended their lead at the top of the table to three points.
FC Calne
had started the night as the only other unbeaten team in the division, but that record disappeared when they lost at home to an improving Chippenham Town
side who extended their own unbeaten run to six games in all competitions. As well as being unbeaten in their last six, Chippenham have now won their last three games. Two first half goals from Ryan Nicholls and Gary Banks did the damage at Lyneham against FC Calne and the win lifted Chippenham up to fifth place in the table whilst FC Cane dropped a place to third as a result of their defeat.
The team moving above FC Calne in the table are Corsham Town
who returned from Selwood Academy with all three points following a 5-2 win over Trowbridge Town Tigers. Leading scorer Steve Tweddle led the way for Corsham scoring twice with the other Corsham goals being scored by Jonathan Scott, Stuart Skinner and Liam Bunker. Lee Mattravis and Shane Morris replied for the Tigers. After losing their opening game of the season that is now six unbeaten for Corsham with Tweddle also now the top scorer in the division with nine goals in all competitions. With Melksham and Corsham the top two in the division it is the two champions from the past two divisions who are leading the way in the Mid Wiltshire Division. With half term again impacting fixtures next week, Melksham Town have the chance to open up an even bigger lead at the top of the table with them being involved in one of just two fixtures scheduled to take place next week.
With the two historic champions leading in the Mid Wiltshire Division, it is a similar story in the North Wiltshire Division where the new league leaders are last season’s champions Redhouse. Redhouse moved top of the table courtesy of a 5-1 win over Swindon Rovers
on Tuesday night. A hat-trick from Fred Galrito plus further goals from Chris Hawkins and Tafari Anderson fired Redhouse into that top spot, but it is still very tight at the top with five teams just three points behind the new leaders.
Cricklade Town
joined that group of five with a come from behind win against Swindon Old Boys
at Cricklade's new home venue at Cirencester Town, also on Tuesday night. Swindon Old Boys led 1-0 at the break thanks to a Martyn Roberts goal but Cricklade replied with four unanswered goals after the break to run out 4-1 winners. TJ Bohane doubled his tally for the season with two of the Cricklade goals, the other two coming through Tom Dingle and Adam Smith. Cricklade, along with Chiseldon and Royal Wootton Bassett Town in the group on nine points, have a game in hand on the leaders, with Blunsdon back in seventh spot on six points having two games in hand on the leaders in this very tight Veterans’ division. Next up for Cricklade is a game next week against one of the other sides on that nine-point figure, Stratton Juniors Orange.
The final game of the week in the two Veterans’ divisions was on Wednesday night between the two sides who started the night still in search of their first points of the season, Stratton Juniors Black
and AFC Swindon. It was Stratton Juniors Black who were celebrating come the end of the evening as goals from Joe Fitchett and James Lewis secured a narrow 2-0 win that saw them move above their opponents and off the bottom of the table.