Wet weather and a school trip meant just three games were played this week in the Under 18 Floodlight Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League, a waterlogged pitch seeing the game at Bradford Town postponed and the school trip impacting Kingsdown who were due to play FC Chippenham in the League Cup.

One of the three games to get played was again in the First Round of the League Cup and it saw last season’s champions Kintbury Rangers up against Wims 11. The first half saw the two sides cancel each other out and they turned round with the game still looking for its first goal. Those goals were to come in the second half, and they all went the way of the home side Kintbury, Kian McNally, Cameron Squires and James Tomlinson all getting on the scoresheet in a 3-0 win to see Kintbury safely through to the quarter final where they will be home to Radstock Town. Full details of this season’s cup competition is shown below with the postponed game between FC Chippenham and Kingsdown meaning the full quarter final line-up is not yet known.

Thursday night saw two games played in the league including a repeat of last season’s cup final when Radstock Town entertained Calne Town. Last season’s cup final had been won by Calne Town who went into the game on Thursday night looking to bounce back from the narrow defeat they suffered at the hands of Kingsdown in their last outing. Radstock meanwhile came into the game on the back of two consecutive wins including a comfortable 7-0 County Cup win last week against Fry Club. They extended that winning run to three games with a 3-1 home win thanks to two goals from Ollie Thomas and first ever goal for Radstock from Louie Gurner. The win saw Radstock move level on six points with three other teams, including their defeated opponents Calne Town and last season’s champions Kintbury.

The other game on Thursday night was on the 3G at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground where Melksham Town were Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s visitors. It was the visitors who went in front early on through Oliver Farrell, the home side giving the ball away and Farrell striding forward to fire in a shot from the edge of the box that somehow eluded the home keeper and nestled in the far bottom corner of the net. Rhys Westlake should have levelled matters up when clean through on goal, but his shot went wide of the far post. He was not to be denied for long though, a defence splitting through ball from Joe Beavis put Westlake clear of the Melksham back line and this time he made no mistake to level matters up. Westlake was also involved in the second goal for his side, his run down the left-hand side saw him get behind the Melksham defence with a nutmeg, his attempted cross in was intercepted by a Melksham defender but fell nicely to Joseph Simpkins who curled a shot into the top corner of the net for 2-1 to Royal Wootton Bassett Town. A Joe Beavis solo effort in the second half extended the home side’s lead but Melksham kept pushing to try and get back into the game creating several chances but were unable to get the breakthrough. Their cause was then not helped when they were reduced to nine men as ill discipline saw two players pick up second yellow cards as it finished 3-1. Your Sport Swindon were there with their camera and subscribers can view the match highlights by clicking on the link below or from the link on the Your Sport Swindon page of the league website.

Due to half-term next week there are just two Under 18 games scheduled to take place.

15 October 2023