Mid Wiltshire Division
There was once again a full round of games in the Mid Wiltshire Veterans’ Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League on Monday night. The big game of the night at the top of the table was between Amesbury Junior and Bradford Town who both went in the fixture with 100% winning records. After the night’s action it was Amesbury who retained that perfect record, inflicting a first defeat of the season on Bradford Town thanks to a 2-1 score line. Both Amesbury goals came after the break within a minute of each other, Ben Taylor-Brown with the first and Jason Brice firing in his third of the season to secure the points, Rhys Schell with the Bradford Town goal. Next up for Amesbury Junior is a trip to Frome to play Trowbridge Tigers in the Veterans’ County Cup next Monday whilst Bradford Town host North Wiltshire Division bottom side AFC Swindon the same night in the same competition.
Melksham Town were the only other side with a perfect record in the division and they maintained that with a hard-fought win over a much-improved Chippenham Town Yard Dogs side. Last season Melksham had won 5-1 and 6-1 against the same opponents but in the first meeting of this season the Yard Dogs made one of the favourites for the title work really hard for all three points. In the end Melksham ran out 3-2 winners on the night, Simon Charity bagging a brace for the second consecutive Monday, Wayne Wheeler also finding the net for Melksham, Nicholas Still and substitute Ryan Nicholls replying for the Yard Dogs. Melksham can look to move level with Amesbury Junior at the top next week when they host FC Calne, whilst Amesbury have that Veterans’ County Cup game. Yard Dogs will also be in league action next week with a trip to play bottom side Amesbury Junior Badgers.
Corsham Town’s only defeat so far this season came at the hands of Melksham Town and after last week’s big win over the bottom side Amesbury Junior Badger they were again amongst the goals this week, putting four past St Andrews without reply. On target for Corsham were Stuart Skinner, who bagged a brace to add to the four he scored last week, Liam Ralph and Ross Hall. Corsham remain in second spot above Melksham on goal difference, but Melksham have a game in hand on both of the top two. Next week Corsham take a break from league action when they host Royal Wootton Bassett Town from the North Wiltshire Division in the Veterans’ County Cup whilst the Badgers have that league game against Chippenham Town Yard Dogs.
Devizes Town have not made such a good start to the season as in 2020-21, losing two of their opening three league games. Things were not going to plan at half time in their latest fixture at home to FC Calne with Devizes finding themselves trailing to a Ben Trafford goal. However, a much improved second half saw Devizes score three times to secure a 3-1 win, their second of the season. Player manager Craig Townsend got them back on level terms, Marcus Wallen put them ahead for the first time in the game and Darren Robison made sure of the three points with a third six minutes from time. Devizes remain in fourth spot three points behind Corsham and Melksham. Next week Devizes are up against Cricklade Town in the Veterans’ County Cup whilst FC Calne have that league game against Melksham Town.
The final game on Monday night in the Mid Wiltshire Division was at the other end of the table where both
Trowbridge Tigers and
Amesbury Junior Badgers were both looking for their first win of the season. It was the Tigers who roared loudest Stuart McLachlan scoring twice in a 5-1 win, Tigers biggest win since they joined the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League. There were further goals from last season’s top scorer Clifford Sakyi, Luke Mattravis and Kieran Prince to add to the two from McLachlan. The consolation goal for Amesbury Badgers was scored by Jon Miller. The Tigers host league leaders Amesbury Junior next week in the County Cup and Amesbury Junior Badgers have that league game against Chippenham Yard Dogs.
North Wiltshire Division
The action in the North Wiltshire Division began on Monday night with Cricklade Town and Royal Wootton Bassett Town taking one of their turns in making the trip to Devizes for their league encounter as the Fixture Secretary continues to monitor the number of trips each side has to make to Devizes to ensure a fair allocation of such visits amongst the ten sides. It was Royal Wootton Bassett Town who returned the happier of the two teams as goals from Jeremy Newton and Ben Gould gave them their first league points of the season ahead of next week’s Veterans’ County Cup trip to Corsham Town, Adam Smith replying for Cricklade who lost for the first time this season. Cricklade are also in Veterans’ County Cup action next week when they take on Devizes Town from the Mid Wiltshire Division.
The following night Divisional leaders South Cerney Rangers took on another side unbeaten in the league Stratton Juniors. In an entertaining game that saw the two sides share eight goals it was Stratton Juniors who went home with all three points courtesy of a 5-3 win. Chris Quinton led the way firing a hat-trick for the Swindon based side, Jamie Ashby with his third goal of the season and substitute Kris Horwood with the other Stratton goals. South Cerney’s goals coming courtesy of Chris Field, Richard Sutton and Steven Algar. South Cerney remain top but Stratton moved to within a point of the leaders with two games in hand. Both sides will again be in league action next week, South Cerney meeting Priory Vale and Stratton Juniors meeting Swindon Old Boys.
Swindon Old Boys were involved in the final game of the week in the Veteran’s divisions on Wednesday night and they are still in search of their first win of the season after a narrow 2-0 defeat against last season’s runners-up
Redhouse, leading scorer Dave Rendle with his fifth of the season, and Chris Hughes with the other goal. The win saw Redhouse move up into second place in the table on goal difference, a point behind leaders South Cerney and, like Stratton Juniors, Redhouse have two games in hand. Next week Redhouse meet KMLC in the Veterans’ County Cup in a tie that involves the top two sides from the North Wiltshire Division.
29 September 2021