Four games took place on Monday night in the First Round of the Veterans’ League Cup and the night’s action saw two teams from both of the two divisions progress to Round Two.

Biggest winners of the night were Chippenham Town Yard Dogs who kept their recent good run going with a comfortable 7-0 win over fellow Mid Wiltshire Division side Amesbury Junior Badgers. Amesbury were playing their first game since early March, having been the first side in the Veterans’ divisions to have completed their fixtures. Yard Dogs are now unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions. Both Gino De Antonis and Rob Pocock bagged a brace and further goals from Craig Dore, Jason Forder and an own goal completed the scoring. Chippenham will now be home to either Swindon Old Boys or Amesbury Junior in the quarter final.

All of the other three ties on Monday night were inter-divisional contests. FC Calne are another in-form side who had won six of their final seven league games in the Mid Wiltshire Division. They brought that league form into the cup at Lyneham on Monday night recording a 4-1 home win over North Wiltshire Division side Stratton Juniors. Dean Slade scored twice, there was another goal for leading scorer Adam O’Keeffe who moved onto 22 for the season, another from Paul Maddox completed the scoring for FC Calne, Vince McMackin with his eighth of the season replying for Stratton. FC Calne will now play Royal Wootton Bassett Town in the next round in another inter-divisional tie.

The remaining two ties saw teams from the North Division progress to the last eight of the competition. Ryan Keech was the star of the show for Cricklade Town in their 3-1 win over St Andrews, Keech helping himself to a hat-trick and taking his total for the season to 19, Jamie Moth with the St Andrews goal. Cricklade will now meet fellow North Wiltshire Division side and probable league champions Redhouse in the quarter final. A solitary strike from Swindon Rovers’ Leon Hills was all that separated Rovers from the North Wiltshire Division and Trowbridge Tigers from the Mid Wiltshire Division in the final tie of the night at Selwood Academy in Frome. Swindon Rovers will now be home to Corsham Town in the quarter final.

28 April 2022