Action from the Division One game between Devizes Town Res & Kintbury Rangers Dev

(picture courtesy of David Giles)

Two teams went into this weekend’s round of matches with unbeaten records, come five o’clock on Saturday night both of those unblemished records had gone. On Friday night Larkhall Athletic Development travelled to Melksham Town Reserves having won three and drawn two of their opening five games but faced a Melksham Town Reserves side who were on a good run of their own having won three on the spin and unbeaten in five. Melksham went in front thanks to a Jake Dodge goal seven minutes before half time and it remained just 1-0 at the break. Five minutes into the second half Larkhall Athletic Development suffered a major blow when their stand-in goalkeeper Louis Mann was sent off leaving them to play the remaining forty minutes with ten men. Despite the numerical disadvantage Larkhall got themselves back on level terms on the hour mark, Ben Whitson with the equalising goal. On a warm evening the young Larkhall side ran out of legs in the closing stages as Melksham took full advantage of the extra man to score three times, Dowell with a second, a Jake Dodge effort and an own goal inflicting the damage on Larkhall. The win for Melksham saw them move up into the top five, a big turnaround for Justin Flowers side after losing their first three games of the season.

Going into Saturday’s round of fixtures this left just Blunsdon as the only unbeaten side in the division and with league leaders Kintbury Rangers engaged in County Cup action Blunsdon had the chance to move top of the table with a win away at struggling Shrewton United. Whether complacency crept in or it was just that Shrewton raised their game, but things did not go to plan for Blunsdon. The home side Shrewton took the lead on 20 minutes a ball in from Sam Mortimer was met by the head of Lewis Cross for his sixth of the season. Blunsdon got themselves back on level terms through leading scorer Danny Hale, who is in a rich vein of form in front of goal, his latest effort taking his total for the season into double figures. Parity did not last long though as Jordon Cross put Shrewton back in front and brother Lewis added a third to give his side a 3-1 half time lead. It got even better for Shrewton in the second half as Lewis Cross completed his hat-trick to put his side 4-1 up. Whilst Ben Mann pulled one back for Blunsdon, Charlie Utterson then scored a stunner to round off a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon for his Shrewton side to make the final score 5-2 to Shrewton who climbed a place in the table as a result of their win and best performance of the season, whilst Blunsdon slipped down to fourth spot.

Amesbury Town could also have taken over at the top with a win today but would have needed to have won by a healthy margin given Kintbury’s better goal difference. They were up against Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development on the 3G at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground where the hot afternoon made conditions on the artifical turf difficult. The home side have made a steady start to the season and Amesbury could have been in for a tough afternoon against a young and enthuisatic side who like playing on the 3G surface. However, in a game that saw seven goals, they were always in the driving seat with the home side having to play catch up. Josh Moore put Amesbury in front getting on the end of a Ben Morris cross to give Amesbury the lead but Kevin Lartey brought the home side back into the game from the penalty spot just after the half hour mark.  The visitors went back in front following a lapse in the Royal Wootton Bassett defence which saw Morris dispossess a defender when closing down quickly with the ball falling to Josh Moore after an initial save by the Bassett keeper to fire home for his second of the game. Just as it looked like the visitors would go into the break in front they were pegged back for a second time, Finley Smith scoring on the stroke of half time and the teams turned round with the score two apiece. It remained that way for the opening stages of the second period, but Amesbury finally went in front for the third time in the game just before the hour mark Rhys Sullivan with his first goal of the season to make it 3-2. Amesbury then added a fourth to finally give themselves a two-goal cushion for the first time in the game, Ben Morris who had set up that opener adding one of his own. There was still time for a late third for the home side through Ben Pope but Amesbury safely saw out the closing stages to secure a 4-3 win that moved them level on points with Kintbury at the top of the table.

Joining both Kintbury Rangers and Amesbury Town on 18 points are Pewsey Vale who picked up their sixth win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Kingsdown. For KIngsdown this was their second 1-0 defeat of the week after starting the week as one of the sides still unbeaten after the opening month of the campaign. Pewsey's solitary goal was scored by leading scorer James Guthrie on his return from suspension. Guthrie could easily have had a hat-trick in the first half, missing a penalty and also failing to convert a one-on-one with Kingsdown keeper Dan Lawrence. Pewsey continued to dominate after the break but were denied on a number of occasions by Lawrence and they also spurned several good chances. The closest they went to adding to their lead was when Matt James hit the crossbar from 20 yards out. At the other end Kingsdown created little to trouble stand-in keeper Ben King who was deputising for Louie Latouche and who kept a clean sheet on his first team debut. That is now five clean sheets in seven games for Craig Kent’s side so far this season and they are once again serious contenders for the title this season.

The final game of the weekend in the Premier Division was a South Wiltshire derby between Ludgershall Sports and Salisbury Development. It was to be a good afternoon for the Sports as goals from Dalitso Mandson and Nathan Strong secured a 2-0 win. They climbed a few places in the table and if their win against Odd Down Development is confirmed they will sit in the top half of the table and the highest placed of the three promoted sides.

The game between Trowbridge Town and Wroughton was postponed by Wroughton due to injuries and illness but Wroughton went ahead with their Development Team game. This matter will now need to be discussed at this week's Management Committee meeting along with 13 other postponed games where the policy and approach for points deductions, in addition to the fines that are applied, will be set for the season, with a clear need for a greater deterent to stop games being called off by sides.

Kintbury Rangers left it late in their Berks & Bucks Charles Twelftree Trophy First Round game against Letcombe. They led 1-0 at half time thanks to a goal from skipper Carl Jenner but were pegged back by Letcombe. However, a late winner from Brad Pagliaroli who rejoined the club following a brief spell with Purton at the start of the season sees Kintbury through to the Second Round.Kintbury are back in league action on Tuesday night when they entertain Shrivenham in the only game being played in midweek as the other sides take a welcome break after a hectic start to the season.

The leaders in Division One Faringdon Town were also without a game this weekend with their game against Kingsdown Development postponed by their opponents. Like in the Premier Division this gave the chasing pack the chance to close the gap and both Purton and Park United took full advantage, both putting seven goals past their respective opponents. At the Red House Purton player manager Matty Bennett smashed a hat-trick to move into double figures for the season, with Gio Wrona, Levi Cox, Alex Hammond and Ashton Glover also on target in Purton’s 7-1 win over Shrivenham Development, Max McCrae with the consolation goal for Shrivenham.

Park United matched Purton’s 7-1 score in their game against Pewsey Vale Development. They signed a player with extensive Wiltshire League experience in the summer in the shape of Adam Mitchell and with the cricket season now coming to an end will be able to call on his services on a regular basis. He got his season up and running by smashing four goals past the young Pewsey Vale Development side, Lewis McCarron bagged a brace and there was one for Ben Selman, Jay Roden with the consolation goal for Pewsey. The win saw Park move to within five points of the leaders Faringdon with all of the top three having now played seven games.

Adam Mitchell seen here playing for Corsham Towm Res is back playing in the Wiltshire Senior League with Park Utd & scored 4 in their 7-1 win over Pewsey Vale Dev (picture John Cuthbertson)

After a couple of difficult fixtures to start the season Bratton are now finding their feet and they are putting together a run of big winning scores. Their latest success was a 6-2 win over a Marlborough Town who had lost just once this season prior to their trip to Bratton. This was Bratton’s third straight win and they have scored 18 goals in those three games as they climb the table. First half goals from Max Bishop, Drew Adams and Louis Wilkins gave them a comfortable 3-0 half time lead. Just after the hour mark Adams bagged his second, and his seventh in those three winning games, to put Bratton 4-0 up. A mini rally from the visitors saw them pull a couple of goals back through Ben Drewitt and Aaron Presley but late goals from Wilkins and Joe Moloney ensured Bratton were comfortable winners in the end to move up into the top half of the table with a game over all the teams above them in the table.

Also moving up the table are Kintbury Rangers Development who picked up their second win of the season with a 4-3 success away at Devizes Town Reserves. Devizes have now lost two in a row after previously having gone five unbeaten. On target for Kintbury were Sean Cook, Jamie Wallin, James Tomlinson and Matt Lavers, Cullen Wylie with two and Oliver Norman with one in reply for Devizes. Kintbury now sit ninth in the table but have at least two games in hand over all the teams above them in the table having seen opponents call off against them twice this season and then they themselves called a game off. David Giles was at the game with his camera and pictures from the game can be viewed on the League’s Facebook Group page.

Action from the Division One game between Devizes Town Res & Kintbury Rangers Development (pictures courtesy of David Giles)

Whilst the top four sides have been scoring for fun Cricklade Town, who sit fifth in the table, have been finding goals hard to come by, but it only needed the one for them to secure their fourth win of the campaign, Nial Francis netting in a 1-0 win over Stratton Juniors. Despite their position towards the top end of the table Cricklade have a negative goal difference but with games coming up against teams below them in the table they will be hopeful of improving that goal scoring record in the coming weeks. For Stratton Juniors that is now six defeats in their opening eight games and unless there is a dramatic change in fortunes an immediate return to the Premier Division is not going to happen.

The final game of the day was at the Weir Field where Wroughton Development met Bishops Cannings in a game between two young sides. Wroughton led 1-0 at the break but an equaliser from substitute Ben Haffenden ensured a share of the points for Bishops Cannings who moved above Stratton Juniors in the table as a result of the point gained. Wroughton remain bottom of the table but having registered their first point of the season.

9 September 2023