The 48^th season in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League got underway with six games taking place in both the Premier Division and the newly enlarged Division One.

Last season Salisbury FC Development and Wroughton had served up an entertaining 4-4 draw at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium and in a repeat of last season’s opening fixture there was anticipation of another close encounter between the sides. However, it was to be something of a one-sided affair as Chris Flanagan secured his first league win as a manager with a 5-0 away success that sees his side top of the table on the opening day of the season. Wroughton had once again secured the signature of last season’s leading scorer in the league Jonathan Peachey-Score just ahead of the start of the season and he carried on where he left off last season helping himself to a hat-trick. Further goals from Aaron Maximen and Dave Halmer rounded-off an excellent afternoon for last season’s Wiltshire Senior Cup finalists.

The top match of the day looked to be the game at the Old Showfield, Frome between Frome Collegians and Blunsdon, two of the sides who had battled for a third-place finish last season but had to settle for fourth and fifth spot in the end behind Pewsey Vale. Frome have lost a few key players over the summer, most notably Jack Newman, whilst Blunsdon have retained the bulk of the side that did so well in their first season in the league. It was a tight affair in the first half with the two sides turning round with the game still looking for its first goal. The deadlock was finally broken early in the second half, Lee Toomey with the opening goal. Rob Curtis doubled the lead for the visitors and last season’s leading scorer Eliot Wheatley made sure of the three points with a third Blunsdon goal. There was a consolation goal for Frome right at the death, Pete Weston firing home from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game after a handball infringement in the box.

Kintbury Rangers under new manager Danny Langford are tipped to be challenging for the league title this coming season and got their season off to a winning start with a 4-1 success away at Melksham Town Reserves. The goals for Kintbury were shared around with one apiece for Ross Lawrence, Ali Thorp, Tom Mahoney and George Armstrong, Ollie Crosby-Clarke with the consolation goal for Melksham.

It was a winning start for Ludgershall Sports on their return to the Premier Division and it was last season’s leading scorer Luke Holden who was the architect of their win over Malmesbury Victoria Development. Holden put Ludgershall ahead, albeit against the run of play, but Josh Harper brought Malmesbury back on level terms and the sides went into the half time break all square. A second of the game from Holden secured the three points and that winning start for the South Wiltshire side.

Pewsey Vale have been up amongst the leading sides in the division every season since dropping down from Step 6 of the National League System and are expected to do well again this season under new manager Craig Kent. His side got off to a winning start against a youthful Calne Town Reserves, two goals from James Guthrie and one from Cameron Pearce on his Pewsey league debut, Pearce having played for Kent at Melksham Town Reserves last season, doing the damage in a 3-0 home win for Pewsey.

The final game in the Premier Division on the opening day of the season was on the 3G at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground where Shrewton United were Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development’s visitors. Shrewton had won on their last visit, a result that had gone a long way to securing their safety last season. They didn’t get off to the best of starts on their return to the Gerard Buxton Ground though, goals from Flynn Walters, Ben Spackman and Kevin Lartey seeing the home side go 3-0 up. Lewis Cross pulled one back for the visitors but a fourth for Nathaniel Bell restored the home sides three goal advantage going into the break. It remained 4-1 until 20 minutes from time when a through ball from Manuel Mesas put Kevin Lartey in the clear and last season’s top scorer for Royal Wootton Bassett made no mistake for the home sides fifth and his second of the afternoon. With 12 minutes to go the home side were awarded a penalty after Flynn Walters was upended in the box and Nathaniel Bell fired the spot kick into the roof of the net for his second of the game to make it 6-1. Shrewton scored a second consolation goal four minutes from time after the home side failed to clear a corner kick, Jordan Cross scoring to make the final score 6-2 and see Royal Wootton Bassett Town go second in the early table with a visit to leaders Wroughton scheduled for Tuesday night.

Two games in the Premier Division were postponed due to teams being unable to raise a side, Amesbury Town calling off their game with last season’s champions Trowbridge Town, and Odd Down (Bath) Development postponing their game against Kingsdown late on Friday. Both Amesbury and Odd Down will now be subject to discipline charges for these postponements.

The big match of the day in Division One was at the Red House where Purton entertained Bratton. After two very difficult seasons that had seen the club win just twice in 52 league games, the feel-good factor had returned to Purton over the summer with the arrival of Matt Bennett and Peter McGunigall as joint managers. Bennett was forced to miss the opening game but had been busy on Friday securing the signature of Brad Pagliaroli from Kintbury ahead of the visit of Bratton and he was to have a big influence on the game. There was little between the teams in the opening ten minutes, but it was Bratton who created the first real chance on 13 minutes, a through ball finding Joe Moloney clear of the Purton defence but his attempted lob over the tall Purton keeper Simon Notman was probably not the best choice and the keeper easily claimed the ball. It was Bratton who went close again just before the half hour mark, Jack Booth finding himself clean through after Purton gave the ball away in midfield, but Notman denied him with a good save. Bratton were not to be denied for long though and it was another Purton error on 28 minutes which led to the goal, a back pass from midfield going straight to Joe Wilkins who was the wrong side of the Purton defence, and he made no mistake to make it 1-0 to Bratton. The lead would not last long though and it was an opportunist effort from Gio Wrona that restored parity. Seeing keeper Ryan Stevens off his line, Wrona spectacularly lobbed him from just inside the Bratton half to make it 1-1. The game was completely turned around minutes later when a ball into the Bratton box found Pagliaroli who fired in from the edge of the six-yard box to put Purton in front for the first time in the game. It looked like Purton would go into the half time break with a slender lead but two minutes from the interval Purton were once again the architects of their own downfall, losing the ball on the edge of their own box and substitute Jono Hogarth was the latest Bratton player to see himself clean through an he made no mistake to level matters up at two apiece going into the half time break. It remained close throughout the second half and the game was ultimately decided by a second Gio Wrona goal to make the final score 3-2 to Purton and a winning start for the new management team.

The two teams relegated from the Premier Division at the end of last season had contrasting fortunes on the opening day of the season. It was an excellent afternoon for Marlborough Town as they ran out comfortable 7-1 winners at home against Shrivenham Development. Last season’s leading scorer Jake Farrell led the way scoring four, Harry Gibson bagged a brace and there was one from Harry Womersley, Matthew Slevin with the consolation goal for Shrivenham.

Stratton Juniors meanwhile entertained Pewsey Vale Development at Merton Fields. The sides turned round at the break with the game still looking for its first goal but four unanswered goals for Pewsey saw the visitors return South with all three points. On target for Pewsey in the 4-0 win were Oscar Aspey with two, Melvin Tatah and Reece Farrow.

It was good afternoon for three of the new sides to the league. Park United entertained Lambourn Sports on the 3G at Stanley Park and it is pleasing to report the game went ahead when earlier in the week it looked like the game would be one of a number not to get played on the opening day. Park went in front on nine minutes through Lewis McCarron and he went from scorer to provider just before the half hour mark when he provided an assist for Toby Gingell to double Park’s lead. It remained 2-0 at the break. Ten minutes into the second half visitors Lambourn pulled one back and went close to restoring parity when a shot came back off the crossbar. It remained just the one goal in it until 13 minutes from time but two quickfire goals through substitute Garry Lock and player manager Darrin Moss put the game beyond Lambourn. There was still time for one more, Zac Hillier rounding off a good afternoon for the Chippenham based side getting on the end of a Dante Anderson cross to make the final score 5-1 to Park United who are amongst a number of new clubs expected to make an impact this season.

Faringdon Town are one of the ambitious clubs who have joined the league with an eye on progress up the National League System with floodlights set to be installed at their Tucker Park Ground later in the season. Last season they had finished in third spot in the Hellenic Division Two South and got their inaugural season in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League off to a winning start thanks to goals from Liam Hares and Kyle Bowyer against Devizes Town Reserves in front of a three-figure crowd at Nursteed Road.

The final game on the opening day was the battle between the two sides who will play all their home games on 3G pitches this season, Bishops Cannings and Kingsdown. It was Kingsdown who left Green Lane, home of the Wiltshire FA, with all three points following a comfortable 6-2 win. Both Harrison Jordan and Tyler Preedy bagged a brace and there were further goals from Sam Styles and Sebastian Walker, Alistair Bradley and an injury time goal from Bryan Griffiths replying for Bishops Cannings.

The final scheduled game in Division One between Kintbury Rangers Development and Wroughton Development was postponed with Wroughton unable to raise a side as Wroughton Development became the third side to pick up a discipline charge on the opening day.

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12 August 2023