North Wiltshire Division
Redhouse finished as runners-up last season to KMLC in the North Wiltshire Veterans’ Division and with their nearest rivals from last season having withdrawn from the league this season Redhouse will be hoping to go one better this time round. They maintained their 100% winning start to the season on Monday night at Green Lane as goals from Marc Connelly, Ashley Bowes, Tafari Anderson and a sixth of the season from last season’s leading scorer Dave Rendle securing a 4-1 win over Swindon Rovers. The win sent Redhouse top of the table on goal difference from Stratton Juniors and Priory Vale having played one game less than their fellow Swindon based rivals.
South Cerney Rangers had the chance to go top of the table on Tuesday night but were well beaten by opponents Cricklade Town who picked up their second win of the season to move to within three points of the top three. Ryan Keech led the way for Cricklade firing a hat-trick in their 6-1 win, Adam Smith scored twice and Darren Swadden with the other Cricklade goal, Steven Algar with his fourth of the season getting the consolation goal for Rangers. Cricklade moved up to fifth place in the table as a result of the win, a point behind their defeated opponents and those three points behind the top three.
Wednesday night at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground saw two sides at the wrong end of the table, Swindon Old Boys and AFC Swindon, looking to pick up their first league win of the season. Indeed, for AFC Swindon who are in their third season in the league they were still looking to register their first point in the league in their 24th outing. There was to be no happy ending for AFC as they fell to a 7-1 defeat, Ryan Mason led the way for Swindon Old Boys hitting a hat-trick with further goals from Craig Gaynor, Joe Anderson, Phil Archer and substitute Martyn Roberts. That first win of the season for Swindon Old Boys saw them climb one place in the table to seventh spot.
Mid Wiltshire Division
Melksham Town continue to lead the way in the Mid Wiltshire Division with new signing Kirk Latham scoring twice on his debut on Monday night in their 2-0 home win over Devizes Town. That is now six straight wins for Darren Perrin’s side who look like they are going to take some beating this season as they opened a six-point lead at the top of the table. For Devizes that is now three defeats in their opening six games but all three reverses have come against the top three sides and they will have the chance to avenge those defeats in the next few weeks as they play all three sides again in either the reverse league fixtures or the Wiltshire Veterans’ County Cup in the case of Melksham Town. With fourth placed Bradford Town also to play in the next four weeks Devizes certainly have some tough looking fixtures ahead of them.
The other game on Monday night saw Chippenham Town Yard Dogs as Trowbridge Tigers’ visitors at Selwood Academy. When the two sides met at the beginning of last month it had finished all square and both games last season were settled by a one goal margin, so another close game was anticipated. In the end the difference between the two sides on Tuesday night was two penalties put away by Chippenham Town’s Neil Edwards to secure a second win of the season for a much improved Chippenham side who went into fifth place in the table as a result of the win.
Bradford Town were the week’s top scorers smashing 14 unanswered goals past bottom of the table Amesbury Junior Badgers on Tuesday evening. Last season’s leading scorer for Bradford Town Rhys Schell led the way helping himself to five goals, former Melksham Town Vets player Steve Tweddle scored four, both Steve Munday and Peter Ayton bagged a brace and one from Marek Miszta completed the scoring for Bradford Town who moved up to fourth place as a result of the big win.
Both last season’s games between St Andrews and FC Calne had ended in 0-0 draws and both sides went into Tuesday night’s game at Green Lane on the back of confidence boosting wins the previous week. It was St Andrews who made it two wins on the bounce with a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Daniel Foster, Steve Jackson and Oliver Howe, the latter scoring for the second week running, Calne’s reply came from Dan Allison.
Next Week's Fixtures
22 October 2021