The Veterans’ Divisions of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League got underway this week and whilst it was a successful start in the North Wiltshire Division with all five scheduled games getting played, just three of the scheduled six games in the Mid Wiltshire Division were played in the end, with Chippenham Town and Warminster Town both being unable to field sides and conceding the points to their opponents Trowbirdge Town Tigers and Corsham Town, and the game at Devizes being postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

The early leaders in the Mid Wiltshire Division are the side who have finished in the top two each and every season of the division’s existence, Melksham Town. A hat-trick from Luke Ballinger and one from Lee Morgan did the damage for Melksham in their 4-0 win over Calne Town.

The following night last season’s beaten league cup finalists Westbury United got their season off to a winning start, player manager and club chairman Philip Hampson getting one of the three goals with Nick Ross and Ryan Earney also on target for Westbury in a 3-0 win against Amesbury Junior Badgers. Martin Pearce was there with his camera and more of Martin’s excellent photos can be found on the League Facebook Group page.

The only other game to get played in the Mid Wiltshire Division was on Friday night at Green Lane and it saw the one new side in the division, Bishops Cannings, get off to a successful start with a 2-1 win over Radstock Town thanks to goals from Leigh Blanchard and John Ford.

The highest scoring game of the five matches played in the North Wiltshire Division was the game between the two new sides to the league, ExIntel and FS Swindon, who were playing each other at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground on Wednesday night. The game saw ten goals with eight of them being scored by ExIntel in an emphatic 8-2 victory. Richard Clark, James Joyce and Junior Small all scored twice for ExIntel with Mike Backwell and Adrian Male getting the other two ExIntel goals, Kevin Robey and Marc Cowen replying for FS Swindon.

Last season’s champions Cricklade Town got their season off to a winning start at home to Royal Wootton Bassett Town but were pushed all the way by the visitors, the winner coming from a late disputed penalty. Stuart Hughes and Adam Smith with the Cricklade goals, Jeremy Newton scoring for Royal Wootton Bassett Town.

Last seasons double cup winners Coate have rebranded themselves as Nationwide in the summer and it was to be a winning start under their new name as first half goals from Adam Rudman and Paul Stonehouse secured a 2-0 win over Chiseldon.

The other two games in the division, both played at the new 3G facility at Moredon, were settled by one goal margins. On Tuesday night Andrew Copland put AFC Swindon 1-0 up 13 minutes from time in their game against Swindon Rovers, but the lead would last just two minutes as Lee Holland put Rovers back on level terms. A second from Holland five minutes from time secured all three points for Swindon Rovers.

The following night at the same venue Penhill United edged another tight game by the odd goal in five against Stratton Juniors in what turned out to be the proverbial game of two halves. Goals from Vince McMackin and Ogedi Uzokwe put Stratton Juniors 2-0 up at the break but a storming second half from Penhill saw them score three times to take the points, two for Jamie Ashby and one for Chris Angell in the 3-2 win.

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6 September 2024