Action from RWBT Dev's 4-1 win over Malmesbury Vics Dev

Despite the heavy rain at the back end of the week all but three of the scheduled fixtures went ahead this weekend, including both games in the county cup competitions which fortunately means no adverse impact on next week’s fixtures. In the Premier Division six games went ahead with one game also taking place in midweek.

Premier Division

That midweek fixture involved Shrewton United who made the short trip into Salisbury to play Salisbury Development and returned with all three points courtesy of a 4-0 win. Two goals for George Plank which took his total to nine in just seven games, with further goals from Charlie Utterson and Aidan Beardsley. That made it four straight wins in the league for a rejuvenated Shrewton side.

In a good week for the club, that run of league victories was extended to five on Saturday when a goal in each half from Charlie Utterson secured the victory over Kingsdown. In a tight first half the opener from Utterson came two minutes before half time. The second half saw Shrewton come under tremendous pressure from the visitors but a standout performance by goalkeeper Sam Gates and some excellent defending from his backline kept Kingsdown at bay. The game was then put beyond the visitors when Utterson notched his second in the closing stages, his third goal in the space of five days to give Shrewton all three points and lift them up into fifth spot in the table. They are back in action on Tuesday night when they host Pewsey Vale under their repaired floodlights looking to make it six league victories in a row.

Amesbury Town started the day two points ahead of Kintbury Rangers at the top of the table and come five o’clock it was as you were at the top with both winning, but the two sides had contrasting fixtures in terms of difficulty. Amesbury Town entertained Blunsdon and were given a really tough game by the visitors who led 2-1 thanks to a Harry Hillerby goal and an own goal before Amesbury equalised to send the teams into the break all square, Dean Carr and Charlie Jackson with those first half Amesbury goals. Amesbury sealed all three points in  the second half when a Harry Hale ball over the top found Josh Moore who chipped the keeper from 20 yards to score what turned out to be the winning goal.

Whilst Amesbury were having to work really hard for the three points, second placed Kintbury Rangers had a much more comfortable afternoon away to bottom side Odd Down (Bath) Development. Odd Down knew they were in for a tough afternoon when keeper Luke Horn was sent off early in the game and Kintbury took full advantage to score six first half goals through captain Carl Jenner with two, Terry Patton, Jake Allan, George Armstrong and Toby Thorp. They took their foot off the gas second half with the game effectively won by half time and were only to add one more goal after the break, Jake Allan helping himself to his second goal of the game.

Another side who had an excellent first half were Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development at home against Malmesbury Victoria Development on the 3G pitch at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground. Harry Walters set them on their way with the opening nine minutes in. They added a second on 24 minutes, a long ball over the top was controlled first time by Nathaniel Bell who slotted the ball under the Malmesbury keeper Adam Clatworthy. It was not to be Clatworthy’s afternoon as an error by the visiting keeper saw him disposed in the six-yard box gifting Bell an open goal which he was never going to miss as he scored his 13^th of the season to make it 3-0. Another error by Clatworthy shortly after gifted the home side another goal, this time it was Ben Spackman who was presented with an open goal after Clatworthy failed to hold a ball lobbed into the box. The closest Malmesbury came to a goal in the opening half was a shot from distance from Joe Tranter which sailed over the bar. A dominating performance from the home side in that opening half. It was a different story after the break though, despite Royal Wootton Bassett having the wind behind them, they stopped playing the flowing football that had given them that comfortable lead and Malmesbury reduced the deficit within five minutes of the restart Jasper Marsh turning in a low powerful shot come cross from Joe Tranter for 4-1. Malmesbury went close to pulling back another 20 minutes from time, Matt Jones firing just over with a volley. The home side did create some chances of their own in the closing stages, Spencer Bowen going close with a neat one-two with Kevin Lartey but his shot went just wide and then Bell went close to completing his hat-trick after he had also been set up with Lartey. There was to be no more goals though as it finished 4-1 to the home side who moved third in the table following the win.

Trowbridge Town are starting to build momentum and they made it three straight wins with a comfortable 8-0 away win at Ludgershall Sports. They led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Simon Millard and Ben Wickens, with Wickens also missing a penalty. They upped their game second half adding six more goals with Jack Miluk scoring a hat-trick, Wickens scoring his second of the game, with further goals from player-manager Ryan Baggs and recent signing Adam Mitchell.

There were also plenty of goals in Calne Town Reserves' home game against Salisbury Development in a game switched to Calne in the middle of the week due to a craft fair being staged at Salisbury’s ground. Visitors Salisbury produced their best performance of the season to record their second win of the campaign, and it was an emphatic victory, as they ran out 6-1 winners. Dyllan Roocroft scored two, doubling his total for the season, with further goals from Daniel Taylor, Naman Gurung, Max Allen and Felix Coles, Matt Robinson with the consolation goal for Calne Town.

The games at Melksham Town and Wroughton were both postponed due to waterlogged pitches. .

Fountain Trophies Cup

The other Premier Division side in action this weekend were Larkhall Athletic Development who set out on their quest to retain the Fountain Trophies Cup they won last May. They were away to Division One side Kintbury Rangers Development and leading 2-0 it looked like they were going to have a comfortable afternoon. However, Kintbury Rangers came back strongly and two goals from Charlie Evans saw the two teams go into the half time break all square at 2-2. Larkhall upped their game in the second half and scored another two to secure a 4-2 away win but they knew they had been made to work hard for the win. On target for Larkhall were Harvey Kendrick, Matt Morris, Ben Riccio and George McLellan. Larkhall will be away to Calne Town Reserves in the Third Round as they look to hold onto the cup they won with that win in the final against Devizes Town last season.

Full details of the games played so far in the cup and the draw for the next round is shown below (games scheduled for 25 November subject to any county cup games needing to be played on that date) :

County Cups

Two sides from Division One were in county cup action this weekend with both Marlborough Town and Faringdon Town playing in their respective county competitions and both are safely through to the next round courtesy of 4-2 wins. Marlborough Town were away to Swindon & District League side Bassett Bulldogs, a side who had spent one season in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League, and made it through to the next round of the Wiltshire FA Junior Cup thanks to two goals from leading scorer Jake Farrell and one apiece from Kieran Maidment and Harry Womersley.  

Faringdon Town were also 4-2 winners away from home in their county cup, the David Grainge Trophy. They were up against Wraysbury Village from Division Three of the Thames Valley League. A hat-trick from Adam Sly and one from Jamie Tuck did the damage for Faringdon.

Division One

Four games survived the weather in Division One and both Bratton and Purton had the chance to close the gap to the top two with Faringdon involved in that cup game and leaders Park United seeing their game postponed due to Marlborough Town’s county cup game. Both took full advantage of that opportunity. Bratton moved to within three points of leaders Park United with a 5-1 away win at Pewsey Vale Development. Leading 2-1 at the break they added three further goals in the second half. Two goals for Drew Adams took his total for the season to 12, with Jack Booth, Joseph Moloney and Max Bishop also on target for Bratton, Sam Ashman with the reply for Pewsey Vale.

Purton sit one point behind Bratton following a 3-0 home win at the Red House against Bishops Cannings. Two goals from Levi Cox and one from player manager Matt Bennett secured the points for Purton who made it three wins on the spin after those two defeats in September that had seen them slip down the table.

Biggest winners of the afternoon in Division One were Shrivenham Development who were home to bottom of the table Wroughton Development. Two goals from Brad Ellis, an own goal and further strikes from Harry Phillips, James Hirst and Stephen Lepine secured a 6-1 victory over the bottom side, making it three straight wins in the league for the young Shrivenham side who moved up to ninth spot as a result of the win. 

Another side in good form in the league are Lambourn Sports who entertained Stratton Juniors who had talisman Cory Cullen back after missing last week’s surprising heavy county cup defeat to Ramsbury. Indeed, it was the visitors leading scorer who put them in front for what turned out to be the only goal of the first half. Cullen added a second early in the second half to give Stratton a 2-0 lead, but Lambourn then put the visitors under a lot of pressure and were rewarded when Jamie Stones reduced the deficit, lobbing the keeper to make it 2-1. Lambourn got themselves back on level terms when Stones again scored to make it 2-2. It was certainly turning into a good afternoon for the Lambourn player as he then added a third to give the home side the lead for the first time in the game. There was to be late drama before the win was confirmed.After having had a goal disallowed, Stratton's Corey Cullen had a great chance of a hat-trick and the opportunity to save a point for his side when Stratton were awarded a penalty. However, Cullen saw his spot kick saved, denying him that hat-trick as it finished 3-2 to Lambourn. 

21 October 2023