With league leaders Melksham Town’s game against Aldermaston postponed due to a frozen pitch, all attention turned to Nursteed Road Devizes where it was second v third as Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Devizes Town met with the chance to go top of the league with a win.

As expected, it was a cagey affair in the opening exchanges with the better chances falling to the visitors. On 16 minutes Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s leading scorer Kevin Prouse had a chance with a header from a corner but his header went straight to Devizes keeper Jack Cross and was easily saved. A minute later the visitors’ Charlie Stammers hit a dipping shot from the edge of the box but once again Cross in the Devizes goal made it look easy gathering the shot at the first attempt. Royal Wootton Bassett Town continued to try their luck from distance, Joey Warren being the next to fire in a shot but again his effort went straight to the keeper. Next up Kieran Legg hit another shot from outside the box but this time it sailed high and wide of the goal. Devizes grew into the game, and went close on 23 minutes, the lively Caleb Hollow seeing his low shot saved by Royal Wootton Bassett Town keeper Louis Smith with his feet with the resulting corner then being headed wide.

The deadlock was finally broken on 32 minutes, and it was a stunning goal that certainly lifted the home crowd on a bitterly cold night. A quick break out down the right-hand side saw Harvey Swain get behind the visitors back line following a defence splitting pass from Jack Farion. A cut back from Swain found Hollow on the edge of the box and the Devizes forward hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net to make it 1-0 to Devizes. Devizes continued to restrict the visitors to shots from distance and they just didn’t find their range all night, leading scorer Prouse being the latest to try his luck from distance, but his effort went wide. Five minutes before half time Devizes went close to extending their lead, Hollow once again the player opening up the visitor’s defence, but he saw his shot deflected wide for a corner by Smith in the Royal Wootton Bassett Town goal, the keeper doing well to prevent his side falling further behind and it remained 1-0 at the break with all to play for in the second half.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town came out for the second half and for a short while in the opening minutes it looked like they might get themselves back into the game. Joey Warren perhaps should have done better from a James Johnson free kick, but then the expected rally just did not happen, and the visitors found themselves 2-0 down ten minutes into the half. The goal came about after the visitor’s defence failed to properly deal with a corner, the ball falling to Jack Farion just inside the 18-yard box and his header looped over Smith into the net for 2-0. That second goal seemed to drain all of the confidence from the visitors, whilst the home side and the vocal crowd were lifted and the home side began to dominate, creating chance after chance as they lay siege to the visitor’s goal. Hollow went close to making it 3-0 but his header went just wide of the goal. The third was not too long in coming though and it was another very special goal. The ball fell to Farion 30 yards out from goal, and he hit a low powerful shot that into the bottom right-hand corner of the net to put his side into an unassailable lead. The miserable night for the visitors went from bad to worse ten minutes from time when a defensive mix up saw Jack Smith get clear of the defence and he was then brought down by the visitor’s keeper Louis Smith. With Farion on a hat-trick there was only ever going to be one taker of the spot kick and he gave the Bassett keeper no chance with his penalty to make it 4-0 to Devizes. Five minutes from time Jack Smith went close to extending Devizes lead after a run to the edge of the box ended with a powerful shot that went just over the bar. The closing minutes saw Royal Wootton Bassett Town looking to get a consolation goal but headers from centre backs Zane Pinnock and Seb Smith, from James Johnson free kicks, were both off target and summed up the visitor’s night, restricted to shots from distance or set pieces, they never really caused the home keeper any danger in a game of such importance in the title race.

The impressive performance and win for Devizes saw them move level on points with Melksham Town at the top of the table but with Devizes having a game in hand and with the destiny of the title now very much in their own hands, win their last three and they will be crowned champions. Royal Wootton Bassett Town remain two points behind Melksham with a game in hand but will probably now need to win all of their three remaining games to make certain of runners-up and then hope that Devizes slip up in one of their remaining three games if they are to lift the title. They are back in action on Monday night with a tricky looking trip to AFC Aldermaston who remain unbeaten on home turf.

There were two other games played as the Under 18 Division finally beat the weather and got going again after the New Year break. Radstock Town visited Calne Town looking to secure a third straight victory over their opponents and a fifth of the season from leading scorer Lewis Wheeler and a first of the season from substitute Steven Johnson ensured that it was Radstock who returned to Somerset with all three points courtesy of a 2-0 win. The victory saw Radstock remain in fifth spot but move to within a point of AFC Aldermaston with a game in hand.

The other game on Thursday night was at Supermarine where New College Swindon entertained Pewsey Vale who were looking to complete a league double over the home side having won 2-1 back in November. It was another close contest between the two sides with yet another 2-1 score line but this time it went the way of New College who avenged that earlier defeat. The New College goals were scored by JJ Maundrell, with his second of the season, and Rovi Lobato, as New College moved above Pewsey Vale in the table. For Pewsey that is now seven games in a row that their matches have either finished all square or have been settled by a solitary goal, providing a good example of how there is very little difference between all of the sides in the Under 18 Division this season, Joe Cligg with the Pewsey goal. Pewsey’s thoughts will now turn to Sunday as they host Chippenham Town Youth in the Wiltshire County FA Youth Cup Semi-Final.

21 January 2022