Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
 Melksham Town & RWBT
Through To County Cup Final

Royal Wootton Bassett Town Veterans' who made it through to the final of the Wiltshire FA's Veterans' Cup for the second season in a row

It was busy week of Veterans’ games this week with a nine games played in total across the two Veterans’ divisions of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League and in the semi-finals of the Wiltshire FA’s Veterans’ County Cup.

The semi-final match up drawn by the Wiltshire FA had guaranteed that the final would see a representative from each of the two Veterans’ divisions, with the two remaining Mid Wiltshire Division sides, Melksham Town and Bradford Town, up against each other and the two remaining North Wiltshire Division sides, Blunsdon and Royal Wootton Bassett Town in the other semi-final.

The Melksham Town versus the cup holders Bradford Town semi-final took place on Monday night at the Oakfield Stadium. When the sides had met in the league back in September it had been a tight affair with neither side able to find the back of the net and it was expected to be another close contest between two sides in the mix for the league title this season in the Mid Wiltshire Division. It proved to be just that. Mark Robinson put Bradford Town in front at the break with his fifth goal in the competition this season and his eleventh of the season in all competitions. The score remained that way until eight minutes from the end of normal time when Melksham Town were awarded a penalty. Lee Morgan put the spot kick away to level matters up for Melksham and with no further goals materialising penalty kicks were needed to decide matters. The penalty shootout saw Melksham come out on top by five penalties to four and it is they who progress to the final of the competition they last won back in Season 2020-21.

The other semi-final was a lot more decisive between the two North Wiltshire Division sides as Royal Wootton Bassett Town made it through to the final for the second year running with a comfortable 5-0 win over Blunsdon at Green Lane. Both Brady Lilley and Ben Gould bagged a brace, the other goal coming through Chris Head. Royal Wootton Bassett Town will be hoping to go one better than last season when they lost on penalties to Bradford Town at Green Lane. The final is set to take place again at Green Lane on Friday 24th March. Interestingly Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Melksham Town could well have met in the final of the competition back in 2019-20, Royal Wootton Bassett Town had made the final and Melksham Town were in a semi-final against Swindon Rovers that was not played due to Covid, and the competition never saw its final that season. Melksham then won the cup the season after, whilst Royal Wootton Bassett Town then knocked Melksham out following a penalty shoot-out on the way to last season’s final.
With both Melksham Town and Bradford Town in cup action, the sides just below them in the league had the opportunity to make up ground in the Mid Wiltshire Division and Corsham Town, Devizes Town and Westbury United all took full advantage of the opportunity. On Monday night Corsham Town met Radstock Town in a game switched to the outside pitch at Melksham Town’s Oakfield Stadium ground as Corsham Town made sure there would be no issues with their pitch for the weekend’s big FA Vase tie. A big thank you to Darren Perrin for once again helping out one of the other Vets sides with allowing the use of the pitch at Melksham. Two goals from James Lye and one from Gary Blackwood secured the points for Corsham in a 3-1 win that saw them move to within a point of Melksham Town at the top of the table.

The same night Devizes Town and Chippenham Town met at Green Lane with the two teams starting the night level on points. It was a close game as the league position of the two sides indicated it would be, but goals from Rob Mitchell and Nathan Vellenoweth were enough to see Devizes edge it by the odd goal, Martin Riddell with the reply for Chippenham Town. With results elsewhere Devizes Town remained in fifth spot but are now just four points behind the league leaders.

Action from the game between Devizes Town & Chippenham Town

 (pictures courtesy of David Giles).

 More of David Giles excellent photos from the Devizes Town v Chippenham Town game can be found on the League's Facebook Group using this LINK.

Westbury United were involved in a rare Friday night Veterans’ game due to challenges with pitch availability. Their opponents on Friday were Trowbridge Town Tigers with Westbury knowing that, given their superior goal difference, a win would see them move second in the table. They took the lead early on through Kane Scott and then doubled their lead six minutes before the break, the division’s leading scorer Philip Hampson taking his total for the season to 18. Second half saw the Tigers pull one back, Steven Hill scoring for the first time this season to make it 2-1. However, there was to be no big comeback as two goals in the last ten minutes, a second of the game for Scott and a Dale Rowland goal seeing Westbury take the three points with a 4-1 win. The victory saw them takeover that second place just a point behind the leaders Melksham Town but having played one game more. The title race this season in the Mid Wiltshire Division is certainly looking like it is going to go down to the wire as just a single point now separates the top four sides.

Westbury United Veterans' who went second in the table with a 4-1 win over Trowbridge Town Tigers

The other game played this week in the Mid Wiltshire Division was on Monday night and it saw an entertaining affair between FC Calne and bottom of the table Amesbury Junior Badgers. The Badgers have been a much-improved side in recent games, having been involved in some close matches, and it was a similar story on Monday night as the two sides shared six goals and the points. Badgers led 2-0 at half time but FC Calne got themselves back into the game after the break to deny Badgers what would have been their third win of the season. On target for FC Calne were Paul Maddox, who bagged a brace, with Michael Few netting the other goal. In reply for the Badgers, Geoffrey Wells scored twice and there was one from Alex Protheroe. Amesbury Junior Badgers now have just three games to go but all three are tough looking fixtures against title chasing sides with Bradford Town to play twice plus a game against Corsham Town, but with their recent uptick in form they may cause an upset before the season end.

There were three games in the North Wiltshire Division this week starting with the game at New College on Tuesday evening between Swindon Old Boys and Stratton Juniors Black. It was to see a comfortable win for Swindon Old Boys with Paul Stonehouse the star of the show, scoring five times in a 7-2 win. The other two Old Boys goals were scored by Martyn Roberts and Nick Zenonos, Neil Lee scoring both the goals for Stratton Juniors Black. It was not a good week in terms of results for Stratton as Stratton Juniors Orange were beaten 5-1 the following night at the Corinium Stadium by Cricklade Town. The win for Cricklade saw them take over at the top of the table on goal difference. Leading scorer TJ Bohane bagged two more goals, taking his total for the season to 13, Marcus Hall, Matt Richards and Adam Smith with the other Cricklade goals, Vince McMackin with the consolation goal for Alun Rossiter’s Stratton side.

The final game of the week in the North Wiltshire Division was on Wednesday night at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground and it saw bottom of the table AFC Swindon push one of the leading sides Chisledon all the way. AFC Swindon led thanks to a goal from Andy Hendry, but first half goals from James Lovell and Ritchie Miles put Chiseldon 2-1 up at the break. That was to be the end of the nights scoring as Chiseldon moved up to fourth spot in the table following the 2-1 win.

League Tables

Leading Scorers

Results

  12 February 2023
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