On a very wet Friday night at Green Lane Bradford Town and Royal Wootton Bassett Town Veterans served up a fantastic game of football in the final of the Wiltshire FA’s prestigious Veterans’ County Cup. In the end penalties were needed to decide matters after the game finished all square at 3-3, Bradford Town finally winning 6-5 in the shoot-out after both sides had taken nine penalties each. Bradford Town’s stand-in substitute keeper Allan Clarke was the ultimate hero, scoring one of the Bradford Town penalties and then saving the final Royal Wootton Bassett Town penalty to give his side the trophy.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town started the game brightly with the pace of Chris Head, Jeremy Newton and Steve Shaw causing the Bradford Town back line problems. In the 5^th minute Head was put through one-on-one with Bradford Town keeper Adam Sheppard but the keeper won this challenge pulling off a great save with his feet to deny the Royal Wootton Bassett Town striker. Bradford Town then went immediately up the other end and when Steve Tweddle went down in the box under a challenge there were big shouts for a penalty kick, but referee Chris Harris waved away the appeals and it remained 0-0. Moments later Bradford’s Ricky Trott then went close to breaking the deadlock, his header from the edge of the six-yard box going just over the bar. The large crowd did not have to wait long though for the opening goal through as a quick break down the right-hand side and a neat passing interchange involving the pacey front three of Royal Wootton Bassett Town saw Chris Head feed the ball into Steve Shaw who set up Jeremy Newton to fire in for 1-0 to the team from the North Wiltshire Division.

Both teams continued to play football of a very high standard and Bradford Town got themselves back on level terms ten minutes before the half time break, Nick Ross firing in from the edge of the box for his seventh goal of the season. Three minutes later Royal Wootton Bassett Town went close to restoring their lead, Dan Badman seeing his shot hit the outside of the post. It was end-to-end stuff now and it required a fingertip save from Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s Nick Warren to keep the scores level as Bradford’s two leading scorers Steve Tweedle and Rhys Schell linked up, Tweddle putting in Schell with a great pass and Bradford’s leading scorer hitting a powerful shot which Warren did well to tip over the bar in spectacular style. However, Bradford Town were to go into the half time break with a slender lead. A cross into the box saw the Royal Wootton Bassett keeper challenge for the ball with a Bradford Town player but the ball fell to Steve Tweddle just inside the 18-yard box in a central position and he smashed in an unstoppable shot to give his side a 2-1 lead with his 24^th goal of the campaign. In the closing minute of the half Tweddle had another opportunity but this time he fired his shot just wide of the post and it remained 2-1 at the break.

Second half continued in a similar vein to the first period, with both sides playing some neat passing football. The better early chances in the half fell the way of Bradford Town. Mark Canham went close with a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box, his shot just clearing the cross bar. Tweddle then had a chance to extend his sides lead, a cross from the right from Paul Beavers being headed back across goal to Tweddle but his shot went wide of the right-hand post and it remained 2-1.

Ten minutes from time Royal Wootton Bassett Town went close to restoring parity from a Jeremy Newton free kick. After arguing that the Bradford Town wall was not ten yards by pacing out the distance from the ball to the wall, Newton returned to the ball and quickly spun round hitting the kick which much to the relief of Bradford Town keeper Adam Sheppard came back off his cross bar and was cleared to safety. Royal Wootton Bassett Town were not to be denied for long though as two minutes later a ball into the Bradford Town box was won in the air by substitute Steve Howse who headed it back to Newton who fired in from a central position on the edge of the box for 2-2.

The goal certainly lifted the North Wiltshire Division side and Howse went close to getting a goal of his own, his powerful low shot being saved by Sheppard in the Bradford Town goal, the keeper saving the initial shot and then quickly claiming the ball at the second attempt to avert any further danger. Once again it was end-to-end stuff as both teams went in search of a winner. Bradford Town thought they had secured it when a cross into the opponent’s box saw Royal Wootton Bassett Town keeper attempt to come out to take the cross, but he was beaten to it by Bradford Town’s Paul Beavers who headed into the net for 3-2. However, it was not to be the winner as there was still time for one more twist in normal time in this dramatic game. Right at the end of the game Royal Wootton Bassett Town were awarded a free kick in a central position just outside the 18-yard box. With two goals already there was only ever going to be one taker of the kick and up stepped Jeremy Newton to curl a low free kick round the wall into the bottom corner of the net for 3-3. The final whistle went shortly after meaning penalty kicks would be needed to decide matters.

After a dramatic 50 minutes of action the penalty shoot-out that followed went close to matching what had gone on before, with a number of twists and turns before the game was ultimately decided. Royal Wootton Bassett Town keeper Nick Warren saved the first Bradford Town penalty but Jeremy Newton, having hit a hat-trick then missed the first Royal Wootton Bassett Town penalty with Bradford Town keeper Adam Sheppard injuring his shoulder as he dived to his left. It looked a serious injury and the Bradford Town shot stopper was unable to carry on with Allan Clarke having to take over in goal after a delay whilst Sheppard was treated. Both sides then scored their next two penalties to make it 2-2. The next set of kicks for each side were both missed and when Bradford Town also missed their fifth spot kick, Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s Brady Lilley had the chance to win the match, but he was denied by a great save by stand-in keeper Clarke to send the shoot-out into sudden death.

Each side then scored each of their next three spot kicks to make it 5-5. Bradford Town were then again successful with their ninth penalty, with keeper Clarke being one of the players to put away a penalty. He then took his place back between the posts for the next Royal Wootton Bassett Town penalty and ensured his side would lift the Cup when he dived to save Martin Jefferies spot kick. A dramatic end to a dramatic night of football in a match that was a credit to the two Veterans’ sides and the two divisions of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League that they play in. Congratulations to Bradford Town from all at the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League on their cup win and commiserations to Royal Wootton Bassett Town on a tremendous effort that saw them fall just short in the end.

12 March 2022