Shrivenham goal celebration from win at Melksham (picture courtesy of Mike Wray, Your Sport Swindon)

The Under 18 Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League returned to action on Thursday with a full programme of games which included two matches involving the top four sides.

Ahead of the night’s action two sides, FC Chippenham and Shrivenham, headed the league table on 10 points with Melksham Town one point behind in third spot and Chippenham Town a point below Melksham in fourth place. FC Chippenham went into their derby game against Chippenham Town defending the division’s only unbeaten record. When the sides had met back in September it had been a close affair with the two sides sharing the points following a 1-1 draw. On this occasion though, it was Chippenham Town who had the better of things, despite a stunning goal from Ben Patey for FC Chippenham, goals from Bonsa Teshom, a Harrison Thomas penalty an own goal gave the Town side all three points in a 3-1 win that ended FC Chippenham’s unbeaten record. The win lifted Chippenham Town above their near neighbours into second spot in the table, although they have played one game more.

The other joint leaders at the start of the night, Shrivenham, faced a tough looking trip to Melksham Town who sat just below them in the table. The first meeting between the two sides back in October at Barrington Park had seen Shrivenham edge it 2-1 in a tight contest and it was shaping up to be yet another close game on Thursday night with the two sides turning round at the break still looking for their first goal of the night. Both sides had created a number of chances, with the best of the first half falling to the home side when a header from a corner was well saved by the Shrivenham keeper and the resulting rebound then fired over the bar when a goal looked likely.

The deadlock was finally broken after the break, a ball over the top finding Kai Richardson on the left hand side of the penalty area who fired in under the body of the Melksham keeper to make it 1-0 to Shrivenham. After that it became the Tyger Hall show, as the division’s leading scorer showed what a talented player he is. The striker made it 2-0 to Shrivenham with a superb volley. A long ball from midfield dropped over his head and Hall stretched hitting it first time into the net giving the keeper no chance. The points were finally secured when Shrivenham, despite strong appeals for a penalty, were awarded a free kick right on the edge of the box in a central position. Tyger Hall stepped up to take the kick and curled a superb shot round the three-man wall into the corner of the net to make it 3-0 and celebrated his seventh goal of the season. Melksham went close to pulling a goal back when an Olly Clarke shot went just wide of the post. The 3-0-win lifted Shrivenham two points clear at the top of table at the half-way stage in their fixtures, having played one more game than second placed Chippenham Town and two more than FC Chippenham. Melksham slipped to fourth place following the defeat, but it remains a tight competitive division that has shown already that all the teams on their night are capable of beating each other. Your Sport Swindon were at the game on their highlights can be viewed by clicking on the link below or the relevant link on the Your Sport Swindon page of the league website.

All of Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s four opening games ahead of the visit of Radstock Town had been close affairs, either ending in a draw or being settled by a single goal. This included the first meeting between Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Radstock back at the beginning of October when Radstock goalkeeper Lucas Purnell had scored a late equaliser from a corner in a 2-2 draw. Thursday night’s encounter was yet another close game. Tom Ellis-Ricketts put the visitors Radstock ahead with a shot from the left-hand side of the penalty area, but the visitors were not in front for long as Rhys Farrow fired home an equaliser soon after, the goal came after a scramble in the six-yard box after a Royal Wootton Bassett Town free kick was not cleared. The teams turned round with the score 1-1 at the break. In the second half, Radstock had the better of things and should really have come away with all three points but, despite chances at both ends, it remained 1-1 at the final whistle and the points were shared for the second time this season.

The final fixture of the night saw the two sides who started the evening at the bottom of the table, New College and Pewsey Vale, involved in a nine-goal entertaining affair at Swindon Supermarine with the home side New College edging it in the end by the odd goal as they completed a league double over their opponents. Both Rajib Malla and Samuel Morse scored twice and the other New College goal was scored by Zachary Snelham. On target for Pewsey Vale were Harry Womersley (2), Archie Tooth and Cameron Hoyle who all scored for the first time this season in the U18 Floodlit League.

Results

Thursday 8 April 2021

FC Chippenham 1 Chippenham Town 3

Melksham Town 0 Shrivenham 3

New College 5 Pewsey Vale 4

Royal W. Bassett Town 1 Radstock Town 1

7 April 2021