Wiltshire FA Veterans' County Cup

This week saw three games played in the Second Round of the Veterans’ Wiltshire County Cup and there were a couple of surprises with last season’s beaten finalists Corsham Town and current Mid Wiltshire Division league leaders Amesbury both being knocked out. Unfortunately, five of the scheduled ties in the Second Round ended up being awarded by the Wiltshire FA.

Last season it had been the clubs from the Mid Wiltshire Division who had dominated the County Cup with both finalists coming from that division. This season it looks like there has been a balancing up of standards between the two divisions with sides from the North Division doing well in games against the Mid Wiltshire Division sides in this season’s competition.

Despite Stuart Skinner scoring for the third consecutive game for Corsham Town, they fell to defeat for the second time this season as Royal Wootton Bassett Town put in their best performance of the season to win 4-1 at the Southbank Ground and knock out a team from the Mid Wiltshire for the second time in this season’s competition. Goals from Ben Gould, Chris Head, Steve Howse and a fourth of the season from Jeremy Newton did the damage for the visitors. 

Jeremy Newton and Ben Gould who both scored in Royal Wootton Bassett Town's 4-1 win at Corsham Town

After four straight wins in the league Amesbury Junior were unable to replicate that league form as they crashed out of the cup competition at the Second-Round stage, beaten 2-0 by fellow Mid Wiltshire Division side Trowbridge Tigers who had won just one of their three league games so far this season prior to Monday’s visit from the leaders. The Tigers match winner was Phil Lewis who scored both their goals.

There was another inter-divisional tie at Green Lane on Monday night between Cricklade Town and Devizes Town and in the end penalties were needed to decide matters. At the end of normal time the two sides were all square at two goals each, Andy Brien and Jamie Richards scoring for Cricklade, last season’s top scorer Nick Oram notching his first of the season for Devizes, a second of the season for Jonathan Couch for the other Devizes goal.

With last season’s North Division champions KMLC having this week taken the decision to withdraw from the league, Redhouse were awarded a walkover in the County Cup and progress to the Quarter Final. They joined Melksham Town, Amesbury Junior Badgers and Swindon Old Boys in receiving a walkover through to the last eight of the competition. With KMLC not yet having played a league game thankfully there are no games to be expunged from the league table as a result of their withdrawal.

The final game scheduled for last Monday between Bradford Town and AFC Swindon was postponed by AFC Swindon and has since been awarded to Bradford Town meaning that five of the eight ties in the end were awarded.

Mid Wiltshire Division

As well as the games in the Veterans’ County Cup there was also two games in both the Mid Wiltshire Division and the North Wiltshire Division this week. In the Mid Wiltshire Division Melksham Town maintained their 100% winning start to the season with a 2-0 win over FC Calne, last season’s overall top scorer across the two Veterans’ Divisions Charlie Griffin getting both the goals for Melksham to take his tally for the new season to three. The win took Melksham level on points at the top of the table with Amesbury Junior.

Charlie Griffin who scored both goals in Melksham's win over FC Calne (picture courtesy of David Giles)

The other game played in the Mid Wiltshire Division was at the other end of the table where both Amesbury Junior Badgers and Chippenham Town Yard Dogs were both looking for their first win of the new season. It was the Yard Dogs who got the better of the Badgers scoring six unanswered goals to run out 6-0 winners, inflicting a fifth straight defeat of the season on the Badgers. There were two goals for both Gary Knowles and Nicholas Still and one apiece for Ryan Nicholls and player manager Peter Lakeland. The win lifted Chippenham Town Yard Dogs into the top half of the table.

North Wiltshire Division

The two games in the North Wiltshire Division were both close run affairs. On Tuesday night at New College a solitary goal from Vince McMackin, Stratton Juniors top goal scoring in both the past two seasons, was all that separated the Juniors and new side Swindon Old Boys.

The following night there was another tight contest at the Gerard Buxton Ground where two goals from Richie Miles secured a 2-1 win for Priory Vale over South Cerney Rangers, Christopher Field with the Rangers goal.

8 October 2021