Mid Wiltshire Division

In the Mid Wiltshire Division only four of the scheduled games were completed with the week’s results overshadowed by the serious injury suffered by Devizes Town player Sam Weller that led to his side’s game against St Andrews at Oakfield Stadium Melksham being abandoned on Tuesday night. It has now been confirmed that the player suffered a broken leg in four places and was operated on during Wednesday. The injury was suffered eight minutes from time with Devizes leading 1-0 at the time. An ambulance was called whilst the player was attended to by medical staff from Bristol Rovers Academy, whose Under 18s were playing on the main stadium pitch. They came over and looked after the injured player, keeping him calm and giving him gas and air to ease the pain, while they waited for the ambulance. After two hours, with no sign of an ambulance the decision was taken to get Sam to hospital using a car. The whole of the Devizes Town side remained with their player until he was taken to the hospital. After the operation he will need to remain in hospital for a number of days. Devizes player manager Craig Townsend commenting the following night said,

“We are so grateful that Bristol Rovers Under 18s were playing Oxford on the main pitch and that their academy physios came over to help us. They deserve a special mention for the assistance they gave Sam.  Thank you also to Melksham Town for allowing the use of the stretcher so we were able to get him into the car.”  

Everyone at the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League wishes Sam a full and speedy recovery from such a serious injury.

On Monday night, also at the Oakfield Stadium, Melksham Town had continued to edge towards the Mid Wiltshire Division league title with what in the end turned out to be a comprehensive win over Amesbury Junior. They did, however, have an early scare when they fell behind to a Craig Watters goal with just two minutes on the clock. With last season’s leading scorer Charlie Griffin now back in action after missing a few games, Melksham’s main man had his side back on level terms shortly afterwards. The same player then scored again before half time to give Melksham a 2-1 lead at the break. In the second half Melksham dominated proceedings and two more from Griffin and two from substitute Gareth Evans gave Melksham a resounding 6-1 win and firmly keeps their title challenge on track.

The same night second in the table Corsham Town continued their recent return to form with a 4-1 win over Trowbridge Tigers. Simon Gray doubled his total for the season by bagging a brace and there were further goals from Ross Hall and Jonathan Scott, the latter taking his total for the season to seven. Substitute Nick Rose scoring the consolation goal for the Tigers. That is now five wins in a row for last season’s champions who sit nine points behind with a game in hand but still have Melksham to play later this month. This a game that they will hope to win to enable them to make in-roads into Melksham's big lead.

Also on Monday night FC Calne made it four straight wins, their best run since joining the league, with a comprehensive 9-0 win over Amesbury Junior Badgers. Leading scorer Adam O’Keeffe scored twice to move onto 13 for the season, Kyle Balloch also bagged a brace, with the other goals coming through Dean Slade, Stuart Ballinger, Jamie Balloch, Gavin Wyllie and substitute Dan Allison.

The final game in the Mid Wiltshire Division this week was at Bradford Town where the home side continued their proud record of not conceding a goal at home so far this season thanks to a 1-0 win over Chippenham Town Yard Dogs. The all-important goal came in the second half, Nick Ross netting for the third time this season to give Bradford Town all three points and maintain their interest in the title race. They remain 15 points adrift of Melksham Town but have four games in hand and with Melksham set to visit at the beginning of next month.

North Wiltshire Division

For the second week running it is the rejuvenated AFC Swindon who are making the headlines in the North Division. After securing their first point since joining the league last week, this week they went one better securing their first ever win on Monday night at Green Lane, a narrow 2-1 success over Stratton Juniors. Two second half goals from Gareth Walton secured that first ever win for AFC Swindon, what turned out to be the winning goal coming six minutes from time. On target for Stratton Juniors was Vince McMackin with his sixth goal of the season.

The following night the league leaders Royal Wootton Bassett Town were looking to open up a gap at the top of the table by doing the double over Cricklade Town. However, things did not go to plan as Cricklade avenged the 2-1 defeat they suffered earlier in the season by winning by the same score line. Cricklade’s  victory came thanks to a 12^th of the season from leading scorer Ryan Keech and another from Paul Lawrence, the winner coming within a minute of the Royal Wootton Bassett Town goal from Brady Lilley that had momentarily brought his side back level. The defeat meant Royal Wootton Bassett Town now have an identical goal difference to second placed Priory Vale but remain top having scored more goals but more importantly have now played more games than their two challengers for the title. They certainly cannot afford to drop any more points in their quest for honours.  Looking at their remaining fixtures, the victorious Cricklade side will now be eying up the potential to secure maximum points from their remaining four games but are likely to just miss out on honours even if they win all four.

The same night Redhouse kept their own challenge for the title very much on track with a 3-0 win over Swindon Rovers at Green Lane, Devizes. That completed a league double for Redhouse having beaten the Rovers 4-1 earlier in the season. Leading scorer Dave Rendle bagged his 10^th league goal and 16^th in all competitions and there were further goals from Michael Lichota and Ian Fawkes, both netting their third of the season. The win saw Redhouse move to within six points of the top two with three games in hand on Priory Vale and four games in hand on Royal Wootton Bassett Town. Their destiny is very much in their own hands but the two games they have to play against Priory Vale and the one against Royal Wootton Bassett Town will almost certainly now define the ultimate destination of honours this season.

The final game of the week was at the Gerard Buxton Ground on Wednesday night when Swindon Old Boys and South Cerney Rangers were in action. When the two sides had met at the start of the season it had finished honours even following a 1-1 draw. In the return on Wednesday night a goal apiece from Swindon Old Boys two leading scorers Andrew King and Ryan Mason saw Swindon Old Boys win for the fourth time this season, the 2-0 win also seeing them climb three places in the table to fifth spot.

2 February 2022