Josh Riggs who scored twice in Cricklade Town's 7-1 win over Moredon in the Wiltshire Junior Cup

Premier Division

The rain that accompanied Storm Ciaran this week resulted in four of the scheduled six games in the Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League being postponed due to waterlogged pitches. One of the two games to go ahead was played on 3G at Bulford Camp where Salisbury FC Development entertained Malmesbury Victoria Development. The game had originally been scheduled to take place at Malmesbury but with Wessex Water decreeing that the ground at Malmesbury cannot be used until early December because of health and safety concerns following the flooding that had taken place even before Storm Ciaran, great co-operation between the two sides saw the league fixtures between the two sides reversed and the game staged at Bulford. After an impressive away win at Calne a fortnight ago, Salisbury had suffered a heavy defeat against leaders Kintbury Rangers last week whilst Malmesbury Victoria Development came into the game on the back of five straight defeats and both were in desperate need of a win to help climb away from the bottom end of the table. Malmesbury’s Luke Corbiere had scored on his debut the previous week at Amesbury, and he once again found the back of the net to put the visitors ahead. Leading scorer Joe Tranter then doubled Malmesbury’s lead with his sixth goal of the campaign. Corbiere then made sure of the points for Malmesbury with his second of the game and his team’s third as it finished 3-0 to the visitors who stayed fourth from bottom but opened up a six-point gap over the bottom three as they ended that losing run of games.

The only game to take place on grass in the Premier Division was at Shrewton United and special credit to the ground staff at Shrewton for enabling their game against Shrivenham to go ahead. Unfortunately for the home side they were not to be rewarded with a win for their efforts as Shrivenham returned north with all three points following a 3-1 win. Shrivenham had the better of things in the first half, in what was the first ever meeting between the two sides, but the teams turned round at the break with the game still looking for its first goal. The fact that the game was without a goal was mainly due to the efforts of Sam Gates in the Shrewton goal who once again was having a good game and had denied Shrivenham on a couple of occasions in that opening forty-five. The deadlock was broken two minutes into the second half, Robbie Hendry scoring with a header at the far post. Shrivenham then doubled their lead on 53 minutes, James Hirst with the goal. The home side got themselves back into the game on 65 minutes, Max Harris reducing the deficit with his first goal of the season for Shrewton. Shrewton pushed for an equaliser but the game was effectively put beyond them eight minutes from time, a quick counter attack from a Shrewton corner, seeing Hirst score his second of the game to make it 3-1 to the visitors. The win saw Shrivenham climb three places in the table to ninth spot.

The only other Premier Division side in action this weekend were Larkhall Athletic Development who were involved in the Somerset Senior Cup. They had a tough looking fixture away to Sporting Weston who had won all seven of their league games in Division 3 of the Uhlsport Somerset County League. That winning run continued as they hit three unanswered goals to end Larkhall’s interest in this season’s competition.

The scheduled league games at Blunsdon, Calne, Melksham and Pewsey were all postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

Division One & Wiltshire Junior Cup

With the Second Round of the Wiltshire Junior Cup taking centre stage this week there were just four scheduled league games in Division One with, in the end, all four falling victims to waterlogged pitches.

There were seven scheduled fixtures in the Wiltshire Junior Cup involving teams from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League and thankfully four of those games went ahead with the three postponed games now scheduled for next week meaning some changes will need to be made to next week’s league fixtures. It was to prove to be a good afternoon for teams from the league with three of the four who played progressing to Round 3 of this prestigious cup competition. Kingsdown Development had what looked a tricky looking fixture at home to Blunsdon Reserves, a side going well in Division One of the Swindon & District League. However, the young Kingsdown seem to be reserving their best performances for this prestigious competition and safely main it through to the next round courtesy of a 4-1 home win. Two more goals for leading scorer Harrison Jordan who took his total for the season into double figures and registered his third in this specific competition. The other two Kingsdown goals were scored by Finn Merchant and Jeremy Wainaina.

Park United were away to Mere Town who play in Division One of the Dorset League and went into the game against Park unbeaten in their opening six league fixtures, having won five of those games. Park have also been having a good season so far and currently sit top of the Division One table with just one defeat in their opening eleven league fixtures and having pushed Premier Division side Calne Town Reserves all the way in the Fountain Trophies Cup, eventually losing on penalties. They made a great start against their Dorset League opponents racing into a 3-0 lead in the opening 15 minutes of the match thanks to goals from Zac Hillier, Cory Harbour-Burgess and Ben Pring, Pring with his third goal in the competition. Opponents Mere Town came back strongly after the initial shock of falling three behind, scoring three of their own to level matters up at 3-3. There was to be a winner though with player-manager Darrin Moss introducing himself as a substitute going on to score what proved to be the winner for his side as they progressed to Round 3 courtesy of a 4-3 victory, inflicting that first defeat of the season on their opponents Mere Town.

Cricklade Town were away to Swindon & District League Division One leaders Moredon with the game switched from Penhill Recreation Ground to the 3G at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground. In a close first half it was the Swindon & District League side who went in front on 22 minutes, a cross back into the box after a Moredon corner had initially been half-cleared was headed in for 1-0. It remained that way until five minutes before half-time when a cross into the box was palmed out by the Moredon keeper straight to Ryan Major who volleyed in for 1-1. It had been a tight opening half with both sides playing some neat passing football and few would have predicted the final outcome at half time after such a close contest in the opening half. It was a different story after the break. Cricklade got themselves in front for the first time in the game within a minute of the restart and once again it was Major with the goal. Cricklade then thought they had scored again moments later when a shot from inside the box looked to have gone over the line before the keeper cleared it but play was waved on. Cricklade did not have to wait long for the third though when five minutes into the half they extended their lead. Once again Major was involved, coming away from goal he was needlessly pushed over in the box with referee Chris Harris correctly pointing to the spot. Josh Riggs took the resulting penalty and fired his spot kick powerfully down the middle into the roof of the net to make it 3-1 to Cricklade. Two minutes later it was 4-1 with another push in the box seeing the award of a second penalty to Cricklade. Riggs once again took the spot kick, but this time fired in hard and low into the bottom corner of the net giving the keeper no chance. Fifteen minutes from time Cricklade went further in front, a defence splitting pass seeing Dennis Nae clear of the defence with just the keeper to beat and he made no mistake firing into the bottom corner of the net for 5-1. There was still time for more goals, a powerful run from substitute Ashley Ward saw him get behind the Moredon back line and from where he hit a powerful shot from an acute angle on the right hand side of the box which sailed into the net for 6-1. The final act of an emphatic second half performance fell to Major who added a seventh for Cricklade to complete his hat-trick and a 7-1 win for his side. A stunning second half performance from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League side which sees them secure their passage into Round 3.

Unfortunately, there was not to be a perfect afternoon for sides from the league as Bishops Cannings fell to an 8-2 defeat away at Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 2 side Swindon Supermarine Development. Supermarine, had been champions of their division last season and had sought to join the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Premier Division in the summer. They have once again made a decent start to the new season which, if they repeat their feat of last season it would see them promoted to our Premier Division. They made light work of progressing to Round 3 at the expense of Bishops Cannings and will be amongst the favourites to win this cup competition. On target for Bishops Cannings were Szyman Raczak and Leo Griggs.

Also, through to that Third Round are Semington Magpies, Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves and Sherston Town. All the other scheduled games were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

4 November 2023