Action from the Letcombe's 2-0 away win at Calne Town Reserves

Premier Division

The 49^th Season in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League got underway on a bright and sunny afternoon on the first weekend in August with six games in the Premier Division and seven in Division One.  

In the Premier Division, two of the four promoted sides were in action, and it was a day of mixed fortunes for the new boys. Letcombe, promoted from the Hellenic League Division 2, made their debut in the league away at Calne Town Reserves. They started brightly and nearly went in front on eight minutes when centre forward Ben Cleary got behind the Calne defence down the left flank, but he left himself too acute an angle and his shot ended up running parallel to the goal along the six-yard box and was cleared to safety. They didn’t have to wait too long to break the deadlock though as two minutes later they were in front. A miskick from Calne keeper Lewis Clarke went straight to Kieran Kerby 25 yards out from goal and Letcombe’s right winger fired it back into an empty net to give his side the lead. Kerby went close to getting a second ten minutes later when put through his shot to the far side of the goal came back off the outside of the far post and was cleared to safety. Letcombe were on top for most of the opening half but were finding it difficult to create any clear-cut chances as the hard-working Calne defence frustrated them in the final third. The closest they went was just after the half hour mark when they managed to get behind the Calne defence but an excellent sliding tackle from Josh Morse denied Cleary a shot on goal just as he was about to let fire. The resulting corner came to nothing, and it remained 1-0. Calne started to come more into it as the half wore on but their only real shot on goal was a long-range effort from Morse eight minutes before the break. A minute later Calne’s Tom Gates looked like he might create a goal scoring opportunity but a fine challenge from Luke Faircloth prevented the shot and Letcombe went into the break one goal to the good having dominated most of the possession.

There were just three second half minutes on the clock when they doubled their lead and once again it was Kerby with the goal, the Letcombe forward firing into the bottom corner of the net with a powerful drive from the edge of the box after the ball was laid back to him by Cleary. Letcombe continued to have the better of things in terms of possession but, as in the first half, struggled to create any clear-cut chances. Calne’s task got more difficult when they were temporarily reduced to ten men 15 minutes from time when Morse was sent to the sin bin by the referee for dissent. Letcombe failed to take advantage of the extra man and Morse returned to the action with the score still 2-0. Right at the end Calne went close to reducing the deficit when substitute Ben Wootten headed just over but there were to be no further goals as it finished 2-0 to Letcombe and a victory on their league debut. Photos from the game can be found on the League's Facebook Group Page.

The other new side making their Premier Division debut were last season’s Division One runners-up Faringdon Town who entertained 2022-23 league champions Trowbridge Town at Tucker Park. It was a tight cagey affair from the off with neither keeper being tested in the opening 15 minutes. The first real chance of the half when it came fell to Trowbridge, George Bendle and Jake Samuel combining and the latter’s header going just wide of the post. Trowbridge were now starting to get on top but were unable to find away through and with half an hour gone it remained goalless. Just after the half hour mark Trowbridge were temporarily reduced to ten men when, Josh Howe was sent to the sin bin, this after just having won his side a free-kick. When Howe returned to the fray ten minutes later it remained 0-0 but not for long. The deadlock was finally broken two minutes from the interval, a ball over the top finding overlapping full back Lewis Wayman who brought the ball down before hitting a shot across the keeper and into the top corner of the net to make it 1-0 to Trowbridge at the break.  The second half saw Trowbridge continue to have the better of things but unable to add to their tally. With the game moving into its closing stages Faringdon went in search of an equaliser and went close to achieving it on a couple of occasions only to be denied by a series of excellent saves by Trowbridge keeper Cameron Miller. Miller and his defence held out to secure a narrow opening day victory as manager Sam Houkes bagged his first league win as Trowbridge manager.

There was an entertaining affair down at Shrewton United where Wroughton were United’s visitors to the Recreation Ground. The home side took an early lead when on ten minutes last season’s leading scorer Lewis Cross fired home after Charlie Jackson’s shot fell to him in the box. The lead did not last long though as three minutes later Wroughton were back on level terms and no surprise as to the scorer, Jonathan Peachey-Score opening his account for the season firing in from a tight angle after some neat interplay. It remained all square until a minute before the break and it was to be the visitors who would go into the interval with a narrow lead. A ball over the top found Peachey-Score whose excellent control saw him volley into the net for 2-1 and his second of the game. The second half was just three minutes old when Shrewton got themselves back on level terms, Lewis Cross capitalising on a goalkeeping error to level matters up at 2-2. However, after getting themselves back in the game, Shrewton conceded again within a minute of their equaliser and once again it was Peachey-Score with the Wroughton goal giving him an opening day hat-trick. Shrewton pushed for another equaliser and went close on a couple of occasions, but Aaron Maximen made sure of all three points for the visitors when he headed in from a corner to make the final score 4-2 to Wroughton.

Salisbury Development made the long journey to the north of the county for their opening day fixture away at Kingsdown hoping to have a much better season after spending last season at the wrong end of the table. They got off to a good start when Jack Stacey gave the south Wiltshire club an early lead. The lead did not last long though Ollie While curling in a free kick to level matters up. Kingsdown went in front for the first time in the game just after the half hour mark, a cross from Antonio Gerrish being turned into the net by Ollie Hunt for 2-1 to the home side. It remained just the one goal in it until 20 minutes from time when Antonio Gerrish fired in a free-kick from distance to make sure of all three points for Kingsdown.

Melksham Town Reserves final game of last season saw them lift the Fountain Trophies Cup and the opening day of the 2024-25 Season saw them carry on where they left off last season as they secured a 3-1 home win over Malmesbury Vics Development. Two goals for Kegam Smart and one from Sam Whitehead saw Melksham off to that winning start, Lewis King with the Malmesbury goal.

It was a similar score line at Pewsey Recreation Ground where Pewsey Vale, who had finished in the top three in each of the past three seasons, got their season off to a winning start at home to Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. Last season’s leading scorer James Guthrie was the star of the show helping himself to a hat-trick, which included one from the penalty spot, Afonso Ferreira with the goal for the visitors. 

There is a busy midweek of fixtures in the Premier Division this coming week. On Tuesday night Letcombe look to make it two wins from two when they entertain Faringdon Town. The same night, two sides who both won on Saturday, Pewsey Vale and Trowbridge Town meet at the Recreation Ground with one or both set to lose their 100% winning starts to the season. Early league leaders Wroughton will look to make it two from two when they entertain Malmesbury Vics Dev at the Weir Field. Also on Tuesday night, Calne Town Reserves will look to bounce back from that opening day defeat to Letcombe when they entertain last season’s Division One champions Park United who will be playing their first ever game in the Premier Division. Kintbury Rangers and Shrivenham are another two sides who will be playing their first games of the season when they meet at the Recreation Ground. Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves get their season off to a start in a big derby game against Salisbury Development who will be looking to bounce back from that opening day defeat at Kingsdown. Shrewton United host Larkhall Athletic Development at the Recreation Ground with the final game on Tuesday night at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground on the 3G where Blunsdon will be Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s visitors. The following night two sides who opened their season with 3-1 wins, Melksham Town Reserves and Kingsdown meet at the Oakfield Satdium.

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04 August 2024