It was the Second Round of the Wiltshire County FA Women’s County Cup this weekend which meant there was just one league game played in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League. That league fixture was in the Development Division, a local derby game between Ferndale Rodbourne and Blunsdon at Moredon. Having missed Blunsdon’s recent County Cup Firs Round game due to injury, Lyndsey Plant returned to the Blunsdon starting line up on Sunday and was once again immediately amongst the goals, scoring four in a 6-0 Blunsdon win over their near neighbours. For Plant that is now 16 goals so far this season, also on target for Blunsdon were Leah Bodman and Kerri Abbley. 

In the County Cup a number of sides from the league had tough looking games against higher league opposition, none more so than Westbury Youth from our Premier Division who were up against Swindon Town who play three levels higher in the Women's Football Pyramid in Division One South West of the Women's National League. Swindon Town, however, played a league fixture against Bournemouth on the day and fielded their Development side against Westbury in the County Cup but still proved too strong for the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League side, securing a 4-0 win to progress to the next round.

Staverton Rangers’ fixture at home to Royal Wootton Bassett Town from the South West Regional League Division One North, two levels higher than Staverton, always looked to be another tough proposition, with their opponents also having put 18 goals past fellow Development Division side Blunsdon in the last round and it proved to be just that. Hannah Gulliver and Emma Sykes, both helped themselves to hat-tricks in a 12-0 win for Royal Wootton Bassett Town, Jasmine Kennedy scored twice with Kathryn Bach, Honor Fraser, Cara Sommerville and regular keeper Millie Powell also scoring.

The other side who were facing South West Regional League Division One North opponents, Melksham Town, will have to wait until the New Year for their game against Purton which was postponed on Sunday, presumably due to pitch conditions, with the game now switched to Melksham and to be played on the first Sunday in January.

The other four ties were all Wiltshire Senior League affairs meaning the league was guaranteed four more sides to join Trowbridge Wanderers in the last eight of the competition. After their heroics in the last round where they eliminated South West Regional Division One North side Corsham Town, Bemerton Heath Harlequins were home to Marlborough Town from the Development Division. There was to be no cup upset but credit to Marlborough who did better than a number of the Premier Division sides have done in the league this season, Bemerton eventually winning 5-1 thanks to two goals from Leanne Harvey and one apiece from Mandy Kidd, Rachel Lang and Zoe Ridley, Nicola Hobbs with the Marlborough Town goal.

There was an all-Premier Division affair at the Webbswood Stadium where Swindon Supermarine entertained near neighbours Highworth Town, with the two sides also set to meet in the Quarter Final of the League Cup in January. In a close encounter Highworth Town took an early lead through leading scorer Lauren Bulley but two goals from Maddison Fox ensured that it would be Swindon Supermarine who would progress to the quarter finals of the competition. Subscribers to Your Sport Swindon can view comments of the two managers following the game by clicking on the link below.

The other two ties both saw sides from the Development Division looking to cause cup upsets by knocking out sides from the Premier Division. Malmesbury Vics from the Development Division were home to Premier Division FC Chippenham and went into the game with a 100% winning record at home, whilst FC Chippenham are still looking for their first league point of the season but had beaten Ashton Keynes 7-3 in the last round of this competition. It would prove to be another close encounter but in the end the tie went the way of the Premier Division side, goals from Charlotte Cook and Amy Totterdell giving FC Chippenham a 2-1 win, Rubie Wing with the Malmesbury goal.

Development Division side South Newton & Barford Hornets were another side looking to cause an upset against a Premier Division side when they entertained Calne Town. Once again though there was to be no upset as the Premier Division side once again came out on top, but it was another close game, Calne Town eventually edging it 4-2 thanks to two goals from Cerys Jones, plus further strikes from Chantelle Richards and Helen Turley, Molly McCarthy and Lily Burt with the two goals for the Hornets.

The Wiltshire County FA have already made the draw for the Quarter Finals, and it offers Bemerton Heath Harlequins the unique opportunity for the club to knock out Swindon Town from both the men’s and women’s County Cups in a single season, with the men’s side having already beaten Swindon in the men’s Premier Shield. Swindon Supermarine’s reward for defeating Highworth is a trip to either Purton, from the South West Regional League Division One North, or fellow Premier Division side Melksham Town in the next round. FC Chippenham are the other side who will be up against higher league opponents having been drawn away to Royal Wootton Bassett Town from the South West Regional League Division One North. The final quarter final tie guarantees a Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League side will be in the semi finals, with Premier Division Calne Town having been drawn at home to Development Division league leaders Trowbridge Wanderers. Full details of the cup results to date and the quarter final draw is shown below:

Due to Christmas there are now no games for two Sunday's in the two Ladies Division's of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League, the action will recommence on Sunday 5th January. Best wishes from all of the Management Committee at the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League to our Ladies' sides for a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

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17 December 2024