Wiltshire Senior League

Corsham Print

Wiltshire Senior League

Melksham Win League Cup,

After Penalty Shoot Out Drama

Redhouse penalty in the Vets League Cup Final (picture courtesy of Matthew Meaden)

It was a busy week of action in the two Veterans’ Divisions of the Wiltshire Senior League culminating in the final of the Veterans’ League Cup on Friday night at Melksham Town. Before that there were seven league games played, although it should have been ten, but once again three games were postponed, all of which will need to be discussed by the Management Committee’s Discipline Committee.

In the Mid Wiltshire Division two games were played on Monday night and both games impacted the top of the table. League leaders Melksham Town warmed up for Friday’s cup final with a 2-0 win over Devizes Town both Melksham goals coming through Simon Charity who took his total for the season to 19 and ensured Melksham remained top of the table.

Close on their heels are Bradford Town who maintained the two-point gap to the leaders with a comfortable 6-1 win over Chippenham Town. Nick Ross led the way helping himself to four goals, Mark Robinson and David Percival with the other two for Bradford Town, Adam O’Keeffe replying from the penalty spot for Chippenham Town.

The game between Corsham Town and FC Calne scheduled for Green Lane on Monday was postponed by the two teams when the referee advised he would not be able to make the game. Clubs are reminded that League Rule 23 B (ii) states that in cases where there are no officially appointed match officials in attendance the Clubs shall agree upon a referee between themselves who will have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee. The game scheduled on Friday between Bradford Town and Westbury United was postponed by Bradford Town and is another postponed game that will need to be discussed by the Management Committee.

It was a particularly busy week in the North Wiltshire Division with four games played on Tuesday night, including two games played on grass pitches as the division makes use of the light evenings to complete the fixtures. At Meadowcroft a solitary goal from Andrew King saw Swindon Old Boys secure a narrow 1-0 win over home side Stratton Juniors Orange. It was a similar score line at Sutton Park, in the other game played on grass, where a goal from Blunsdon’s Peter Byrne was the only difference between the home side and visitors Swindon Rovers.

The other two games involved the teams challenging for the title with the big game being the one between leaders Cricklade Town and second placed Redhouse who also had that cup final on Friday to come later in the week. Perhaps minds were elsewhere as the expected close encounter did not materialise with Cricklade running out comfortable 6-0 winners. There were two goals for Ryan Keech and one each for TJ Bohane, Tom Dingle, Matt Richards and Adam Smith. The win saw Cricklade open up a nine-point lead at the top of the table, although Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Redhouse do have a game in hand and with both still having Cricklade to play one more time.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town kept themselves in the title race with a 6-0 win of their own against AFC Swindon, their third win and clean sheet in games with AFC Swindon this season. The goals in their latest win came courtesy of Chris Head (2), Mark Simpkins, Dean Ramshaw, Nick Mason and Ben Gould.

There was another big win on Wednesday night in the game between Chiseldon and Stratton Juniors Black with Chiseldon scoring nine unanswered goals. The division’s leading scorer Richie Miles led the way for Chiseldon adding another four goals to his impressive total to move onto 29 for the season. There was also a hat-trick for James Lovell with Liam Hector getting the other two in the 9-0 win which saw Chiseldon move above Redhouse and into third spot in the table.

The final game of the week in the Veterans’ was the most important with the second staging of a Veterans’ League Cup Final after last season's inaugral competition won by Cricklade Town at New College. Originally looking like it would again need to be staged on one of the 3G grounds used by the league, the two clubs, Melksham Town and Redhouse, asked if it could be played at Melksham Town’s stadium, certainly a more fitting venue for a cup final. Melksham Town agreed to host the final before their pitch is decommissioned for maintenance work hence the game took place the night after the same stadium had hosted the Under 18 League Cup Final. A big thank you on behalf of tle league for this kind gesture.

It was fitting that the two finalists have been two of the most successful Veterans’ sides in the League since we established the Veterans’ category back in Season 2019-20. Melksham Town have been Wiltshire FA Veterans’ County Cup winners twice, winning that cup for the first time in Season 2020-21 and again this season. Last season saw them secure the Mid Wiltshire Veterans’ Division title, having finished as runners-up the season before in 2020-21. They are once again the current league leaders in the Mid Wiltshire Division and could well repeat last season’s title success. Redhouse established a Veterans’ side in Season 2020-21 and they had an excellent inaugural season finishing as runners-up to KMLC in the North Wiltshire Division. They went one better the following season in 2021-22 finishing as North Wiltshire Division champions, finishing above Priory Vale on goal difference only. This season, as well as making the cup final, they are also still involved in the North Wiltshire Division league title race as they look to defend the title they won last season although Cricklade Town are now very much in the driving seat.

In reaching the final Redhouse had defeated Chiseldon in the Second Round to set up a Quarter Final against Corsham Town from the Mid Wiltshire Division. Corsham were to win the game 3-0 but the tie was awarded to Redhouse after it transpired that Corsham had played an ineligible player. In the Semi-Final Redhouse met another Mid Wiltshire Division side in Chippenham Town and in a tight game at Green Lane neither side was able to find the net in normal time and penalties were needed to settle matters, with Redhouse winning the penalty shootout 5-3. Melksham’s passage to the final was much clearer. They defeated Devizes Town 3-1 in the Second Round setting up a Quarter Final against Royal Wootton Bassett Town which was won 2-0. In the Semi-Final they met fellow Mid Wiltshire Division side Bradford Town and four goals from Kris Beasley in a 4-3 win, the winner coming right at the end saw them through to the final.

The final itself was another tight affair with very few chances created by either side and could have gone either way. Like the Semi-Final involving Redhouse it was to end 0-0 meaning penalties were required to settle matters once again. With Redhouse scoring all three of their opening penalties, whilst Melksham failed to register with their opening two, few would have predicted the final outcome. Melksham scored with their third with Redhouse then missing their fourth and fifth penalties meaning the shootout went to sudden death. With Redhouse failing to score with their sixth penalty and with Melksham scoring theirs it was Melksham who triumphed in the end 4-3 in a remarkable penalty shootout turnaround. Of the five missed penalties, four of them were actual saves by the two keepers, Stewart Thompson of Redhouse and Melksham’s Gareth Evans as the two keepers were both the stars of the final. Congratulations to Melksham on their win which means they have now won both the League Cup and the County Cup this season and will now go in search of the treble. Commisserations to Redhouse on going so close, especially when they led 3-1 in the penalty shootout until that dramatic turnaround. They also will now look to register league honours, although it looks like runners-up may be more likely than retaining the title they won last season.