This week saw a full completed round of games in the Under 18 Floodlight Division with all ten sides in action, this was the first time this had happened since the beginning of October due to the bad weather at the back end of last year and the beginning of the new calendar year.

At the top end of the table all the top three sides maintained their quest for honours. At the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground on Thursday night league leaders Royal Wootton Bassett Town had a comfortable win over the young Melksham Town side. Three goals in the first 20 minutes put them in the ascendancy. Rhys Westlake put them ahead on ten minutes tucking away a low ball in from Flynn Walters. Euan Spackman then doubled the home side’s lead with a spectacular shot into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box. Two minutes later Flynn Walters made it 3-0 after a defence splitting pass from Joey Warren. Any chance of a Melksham comeback was ended within a minute of the start of the second half when Euan Spackman scored his second of the game. Joe Beavis then made it 5-0 lifting the ball over the keeper from a central position on the edge of the box. With five minutes remaining the home side were awarded a penalty which Walters put away for six nil and a fine individual goal from the same player in the last minute of the match rounded off a good night for the young striker as he completed his hat-trick in the 7-0 win.

Kintbury Rangers maintained their own title challenge with a 2-0 away win at Bradford Town thanks to goals from Rhys Aitkins and Josh Dopson. They remain four points behind the leaders but with a game in hand with the top two scheduled to meet this coming Monday.

Calne Town consolidated their third-place position with a 2-0 win over Warminster Town. Recent signing from Bishops Cannings Jack Smith netted his first for his new club to open the scoring before Harry Hynes doubled the lead on 54 minutes. That was to be the end of the night’s scoring as Calne safely saw out the remaining minutes to secure that 2-0 win. With six games to go Calne still have an outside chance of league honours and on paper have the easier run in of the top three sides although the cup is probably their best chance of honours this season.  

Not only have Bishops Cannings seen Jack Smith depart to Calne Town but Jack Farion has also departed and lined up for Radstock Town against his former club on Thursday night. Shorn of two of their top three goal scorers this season Bishops Cannings fell to a 2-0 defeat with Farion coming back to haunt his former teammates with Radstock’s second of the night with a second half strike from outside the box. Radstock had taken the lead in the first half through Lex Southall with his fifth goal of the season, but Farion’s strike made sure of the three points. Radstock are someway behind the top two but with games in hand. Like Calne their best chance of honours this season will be in the League Cup where they are set to meet Kintbury Rangers in the semi-final on Monday 27^th March. Bishops Cannings are also still in the cup and have a quarter final date with Royal Wootton Bassett Town scheduled for 16^th March. The winner of that tie will be away to Calne Town in the semi-final on Thursday 30^th March.

The week’s action in the Under 18 Division had got underway on Monday night when Kingsdown Lions made the journey into Berkshire to play AFC Aldermaston. In was all level at 1-1 at the break but Kingsdown stepped up their game in the second half to secure a 4-2 win and continue their good form of late which has seen them pick up seven points in their last four games. On target for Kingsdown were Tyler Preedy, William Tun, Josh Atwell and Nicholas Wilkes, Leon Japhet and Zach Hayton with the two Aldermaston goals.

League Table

Leading Scorers

Results Grid

Results and Next Week's Fixtures

26 February 2023