Premier Division

Last season Kintbury Rangers pushed Amesbury Town all the way in the race for the title, eventually finishing seven points short. This season they are aiming to go one better and go into November unbeaten in the league after registering their twelfth win in 14 games with a 2-1 away victory at Bemerton Heath Harlequins. Ominously for the rest of the division they now have last season’s top scorer George Armstrong back in their ranks and he scored his first of the season in this latest Kintbury win, this season’s leading scorer Kye Williams, with his eleventh of the season, with the other Kintbury goal. Dean Reynolds with the Bemerton goal with all three goals coming in the first half.

More of Tony Smith's pictures from this game can be found at www.efc.smugmug.com

Wroughton kept in touch with the league leaders with a 2-0 home win over Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. The game remained without a goal until the 65^th minute when Wroughton’s leading scorer Jonathan Peachey-Score broke the deadlock with his 19^th goal of the season. Ten minutes later Kassa Anderson made sure of the points with his second of the game. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development had also been in action in midweek when they visited Larkhall Athletic Development and they had moved out of the bottom four places thanks to a 4-2 victory. Two goals from Caleb Geib and one from George Lance and Flynn Walters securing the three points, with Aidan Maslen and Tatenda Mateke getting the Larkhall goals. Following the Wroughton defeat Royal Wootton Bassett remain just outside the bottom four on goal difference, whilst Wroughton’s win sees them remain six points behind Kintbury with the two sides yet to meet this season.

Wroughton who remained in touch with the league leaders following a 2-0 win over RWBT Dev

The top match of the day was at Letcombe, where the home side who sat fifth in the table ahead of this weekend’s fixtures were up against the side just above them in the table, Pewsey Vale. It started well for the home side as Xavi Diaz put them 1-0 up but Pewsey were level by half time and then went ahead early in the second half, Brandon Vincent and former Letcombe striker Josh Fowler with the two Pewsey goals. Ben Cleary then got Letcombe back on level terms late on in the game, heading in from a corner for his 12^th of the season. Just as it looked as though the two sides would have to settle for a point, deep into injury time Kieran Kerby scored a third and winning goal for Letcombe. The win saw Letcombe climb above both their beaten opponents and Melksham Town Reserves into third spot in the table. Whilst currently ten points behind leaders Kintbury, Letcombe have two games in hand.

Melksham Town Reserves suffered a setback to their promotion ambitions when they fell to a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Shrewton United. They trailed 2-0 at the break to goals from Joe Spratt and Charlie Utterson and it got worse for them when Utterson scored his second of the game within a minute of the restart to give Shrewton a 3-0 lead. Melksham rallied and pulled one back through Sam Hendy on 52 minutes and then scored a second 12 minutes from time to give them hope of getting something out of the game, Hendy again the scorer. However, Shrewton’s defence held firm to prevent any further goals being conceded as they picked up their second away win of the season.

Trowbridge Town also lost ground in their push for promotion when they fell to their third home defeat of the season, Calne Town Reserves leaving with all three points following a 2-1 win. Jamie Lyons had given home side Trowbridge an early lead from the penalty spot after a foul on Connor McKay. However, four minutes later Calne were back on level terms following another penalty, Sean Bailey putting the spot kick away to make it 1-1 and it remained that way at the break. A second half strike from Calne’s Lewis Royston saw them end their run of three games without a win and climb above their beaten opponents into seventh place in the table. To add to Trowbridge’s miserable afternoon they had Derek Wheeler sent off late on for a second bookable offence.

There was the proverbial game of two halves at the Ian Richardson Football Ground where Shrivenham’s visitors were Kingsdown. The first half belonged to Kingsdown as two penalties from Josh Atwell saw them lead 2-0 at the break. James Hirst started the Shrivenham come back pulling one back early in the second half. The same player then scored a second for Shrivenham from a free kick to level matters up. The game was completely turned around late on when Matty Horsell scored what proved to be the winner for Shrivenham who moved out of the bottom four as a result of their fourth league win of the season and their fourth straight win in all competitions.

There were a couple of important games at the bottom end of the table, and it was to prove to be a good afternoon for the young Salisbury Development side who were another side to move out of the bottom four with a win. Goals from Josh Ngombi, Henry Anoma and Naman Gurung secured a convincing 3-0 win over a Faringdon Town side who do not travel well, having now lost all six games on the road they have played. They have also now lost four league games in a row which has seen them slip into the bottom four.

The final game in the Premier Division on Saturday was at Sutton Park where Blunsdon’s visitors were Larkhall Athletic Development who were looking to end a run of four straight defeats of their own. The teams turned around all square at the break with a goal apiece. John O’Donoghue then put Blunsdon 2-1 up but an equaliser for Larkhall ten minutes from time gave them a deserved share of the points. Jordan Phillips and Harvey Kendrick with the Larkhall goals, Nick Craft with that first half goal for Blunsdon.

Wiltshire Senior Cup

The one outstanding tie in the Second Round of the Wiltshire Senior Cup was played on Saturday involving two sides from the Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League, Park United and Malmesbury Victoria Development. It is the Chippenham based side Park United who progressed to a Third Round meeting with Warminster Town following a comfortable 5-0 win. Adam Mitchell set them on their way with further goals from Lewis McCarron, Ben Pring, player manager Darrin Moss and Ben Selman completing the scoring for Park.

The last eight of the Wiltshire FA's oldest and most prestigious of competitions sees five of the eight sides in the quarter final being from the Corsham Print WIltshire Senior League with three Western League sides Calne Town, Devizes Town and Warminster Town joining the clubs from our league in the last eight. It is 21 years since a team from the league lifted the cup and could this be the season when that drought is ended?

Division One

In Division One league leaders Cricklade Town opened up a six-point lead at the top of the table with their eleventh straight win and it was a convincing one against near neighbours Purton, with Cricklade scoring an unanswered baker’s dozen. Both Callum Parsons and Levi Cox helped themselves to four goals, Cox scoring against the side he played for last season. Harry Ayres scored twice with the other goals coming courtesy of Connor Waldon, Scott Chilcott and Aiden Henshaw. Whilst Cricklade have won all eleven of their league games so far, Purton in contrast have now lost all of their first ten but hopefully things will improve from them as the season progresses with additions made to the management team this week.

The reason Cricklade increased their lead at the top of the table was due to second place Bishops Cannings losing 5-4 away against a Redhouse side who are still under the temporary management of Veterans’ manager Darren Grace and who are showing definite signs of improvement. On target for Redhouse in this goal fest were Daniel Axford with two, Arron Dale, Kieran Dunne and an eighth of the season from Jack Duffy. In reply for Bishops Cannings there were two goals from Harry Drewitt and one apiece from Will Purdy and Lleyton Edwards.

There was another high-scoring game at Trowbridge Road where Bradford Town Reserves entertained Kintbury Rangers Development. A storming first half from the visitors Kintbury saw them lead 4-1 at the break but Bradford Town Reserves staged a second half comeback to get within one goal of the visitors but were unable to find an equaliser as it finished 4-3 to Kintbury. Charlie Allsop scored twice for Kintbury with a 17^th of the season from Harry Murtagh and one from Cameron Hoyle completing the scoring for Kintbury. In reply for Bradford Town, Kieran Balchin took his tally for the season into double figures and Bartosz Gorecki bagged a brace.

There were seven goals also in the game at Lambourn Sports where the home sides visitors were Marlborough Town. The two sides started the day level on points but with Marlborough having the much better goal difference. However, Lambourn went someway to eroding that differential as well as putting a three-point gap between the two sides thanks to a 5-2 win which saw them climb two places in the table to fourth spot. Leading scorer Lewis Shaw helped himself to a hat-trick to take his total for the season to 13 with further goals coming through Ben Curtis and Dan Reynolds.  Both Marlborough goals were scored by their leading scorer Jake Farrell who took his total for the season to 15.

At the bottom end of the table both Kingsdown Development and Shrivenham Development picked up welcome wins to establish a gap between themselves and the bottom three. Shrivenham Dev were involved in a close encounter with Pewsey Vale Development, a Luke Saunders goal for Shrivenham being all that separated the sides on the day, on what was a good day for the club as a whole with their first team also getting that win against Kingsdown.

Kingsdown Development have added some experience to their squad and are starting to find their form as they made it two wins in a row, building on last week’s victory at Bratton with a 4-0 home win over Stratton Juniors. Two goals from Bongumenzi Ceko plus further goals from Ramon Faruq and Nick Stanley did the damage for Kingsdown.

Gloucestershire FA Intermediate North County Cup

Down Ampney were in Gloucestershire County Cup action in the Second Round of the Intermediate North Cup. Their opponents were Longhope the current leaders of the North Gloucestershire League Division One who went into the game against Down Ampney unbeaten, having won seven of their opening eight league games. However, that unbeaten record is no more as Down Ampney inflicted a first defeat of the season on their visitors as goals from Charlie McCuish, Connor Hibbs, Steve Algar and Harvey Coster, his fifth of the season in this cup competition,  secured a 4-0 win for Down Ampney who progress to the Third Round where they will be away to Longlevens 4^th team. 

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26 October 2024