League & County Cup Games

It was another week of conceded cup ties in the Veterans’ League Cup, something that has blighted both both Veterans' cup competitions in Season 2024-25.

The one re-scheduled game in the Wiltshire County FA Veterans’ Cup between Bishops Cannings and Westbury United, which had been rearranged by the Wiltshire FA following the initial abandonment with Bishops Canning leading 3-0 at the time and Westbury down to ten men, did in fact take place. However,  it ended up having to be awarded to Bishops Cannings, despite them losing the re-staged game, because Westbury played the player who had been sent off in the initial game and who was suspended at the time of the re-staging. Bishops Cannings will now be home to ExIntel in the semi-final.

Two of the scheduled games in the Second Round of the League Cup also ended up being awarded with FS Swindon unable to raise a side for their tie against Cricklade Town and Warminster Town unable to raise a side for their game against Melksham Town meaning that Melksham have now gone through two rounds without kicking a ball.

Three of the scheduled Second Round ties did get played with two games producing close encounters. The one exception was cup holders Nationwide’s long trip south on Tuesday night to take on Amesbury Junior Badgers  which was very much a one-sided affair with the cup holders from the North Wiltshire Division scoring 12 times without reply to progress to the last eight of the competition. Vince McMackin led the way for Nationwide scoring four, Neil Snow registered a hat-trick, Mason Worthington scored twice with further goals coming from Brady Lilley, Marc Merritt and Pete Monks.

The cup action had gone underway on Monday night with the all Mid Wiltshire Division tie between Trowbridge Town Tigers  and Durrington. With the two sides separated by just one place and three points in the league table a close encounter was anticipated ahead of the game, and it proved to be just that. Despite creating several chances, the Tigers were unable to find the back of the net but visitors Durrington proved to be more clinical in front of goal, taking two of the chances that came their way to make it through to the quarter final stage, Ben Reilly and Keith Darling with the two Durrington goals.

Having knocked Redhouse out of the Veterans’ County Cup earlier in the season, Penhill United were looking to achieve a cup double over the North Wiltshire Division league leaders Redhouse. That first cup encounter had been decided by a solitary goal from Penhill’s Peter Myall back in October. Once again goals were in short supply in the second cup meeting of the season between the sides with the game finishing 0-0 at the end of normal time meaning penalties would be needed to decide matters. In the penalty shootout it would prove to be Penhill who held their nerve to complete that cup double.

There is now one outstanding tie to be played between Chiseldon  and Westbury United, the tie having had to be re-scheduled due to the re-staging of the abandoned County Cup game. The re-arranged League Cup tie will now take place on January 15^th.

League Chairman Brian Busson and Jim Thorn made the draw for the quarter finals and the draw has thrown up two definite inter-divisional ties with a potential third depending on outcome of that Chiseldon v Westbury United game. The one cross-divisional tie sees two unbeaten sides in their respective divisions, Cricklade Town  and Melksham Town, drawn against each other for the second season running, with the tie, as was the case last season, set to take place at Cirencester Town. The first of the two inter-divisional ties which involves two teams from the North Wiltshire Division sees  Penhill United at home to Nationwide, whilst the confirmed all Mid Wiltshire Division sees Durrington  at home to Devizes Town. The winner of the outstanding Second Round game between Chiseldon and Westbury United  will be home to Bishops Cannings for a place in the semi-final. Full details of the first two rounds of the cup and the draw for the quarter final is shown below:

In addition to the cup action, two league games were also played in the North Wiltshire Division. Stratton Juniors went into their game against ExIntel at Moredon with just the one point so far this season but doubled that total by the end of the night with their best result of the season, holding ExIntel to a 2-2 draw to move off the bottom of the table. On target for ExIntel were Richard Wells and Lewis Bryant, Kris Horwood and Gergo Komjati with the two Stratton goals.

It was another tight affair in the other league game played with Chiseldon just edging it over AFC Swindon by the odd goal in a 2-1 win, Sean O’Brien and Matt Hollingshead putting Chisledon 2-0 ahead before a goal from substitute Jeremy Hope five minutes from time brought AFC Swindon back into the game but there was to be no equaliser as Chiseldon saw out the closing stages without conceding to register their third league victory of the season.

Due to Christmas, there are now no games for two weeks in the two Veterans’ Divisions of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League, the action will recommence on Monday 6th January. Best wishes from all of the Management Committee at the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League to our Veterans' sides for a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.