Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Shrewton Move Top of the Table
Dean Smith who scored the winner that sent Shrewton United three points clear at the top of the table
With Wroughton once again without a fixture, Shrewton had the opportunity to take over at the top of the table by avoiding defeat against visitors Frome Collegians. This was the third meeting of the season between the two sides, when they had met in the league at Frome back in September it had finished 2-2 after Frome scored two late goals to share the points, whilst Shrewton had won 4-2 at home in the Fountain Trophies Cup the following month. It was another tight game in the third meeting with Shrewton eventually edging it. Visitors Frome Collegians led 1-0 at the break, Sonny Burbridge scoring with a stunning strike from distance. However, a controversial penalty incident saw Shrewton get back on level terms. The initial spot kick was saved by the Frome keeper Liam Ashman only for the officials to order the kick to be retaken deciding that the keeper was off the line in making the save. Craig Lewis made no mistake with the re-taken penalty to level things up at one each. Dean Smith then scored what turned out to be the winner for Shrewton. The win saw them go three points clear of Wroughton at the top of the table but having played five more games than the second placed side. Shrewton have a tough looking month coming up with two games against both in-form Melksham Town Reserves and Corsham Town Reserves, including a Fountain Trophies Cup tie, but go into February at the top and the division’s leading scorers.

Corsham Town Reserves moved level on points with Wroughton but have also played five more games than the side in second spot, winning 5-2 away at Stratton Juniors to complete the league double over their Swindon based opponents. Two first half goals from Ryan Withers and one from Jake Dodge gave Corsham a 3-1 lead at the break, Ryan Major scoring for Stratton from the penalty spot. Second half saw Withers complete his hat-trick, with Ben Selman also on target for the visitors, Scott Garrett scoring a second for Stratton Juniors.
Ryan Withers who scored a hat-trick in Corsham Town Res 5-2 win at Stratton Juniors
Marlborough Town have had a tough time of it of late and went into their tough looking fixture with Kintbury Rangers on the back of a run that had seen then go 16 games without a win. That has now stretched to 17 but arguably the midweek team building meal they had this week has had a positive effect as they picked up probably their best result of the season, holding fourth placed Kintbury to a goalless draw. Both teams created chances but were none were taken as the sides shared the points. That is the second time in the last four games that Marlborough have drawn with one of the top four sides so that elusive win cannot be far away.

The big match of the day was at the Red House where sixth placed Melksham Town Reserves were fifth placed Purton’s visitors. Melksham are one of the form sides in the division with just one defeat in their previous nine games ahead of their trip to Purton. That great run continues as a hat-trick from top young striker Harvey Flippance, his second in consecutive weeks which took him to eighteen for the season to add to the nine he has scored in the U18 Division for FC Chippenham, secured a 4-2 win for the visitors. Their other goal was scored by Cullen Wylie, Jamie Tuck and Chris Avery with the Purton goals.

Pewsey Vale have been one of the form sides in the division in recent weeks, travelling to Royal Wootton Basset Town Development on the back of a three-game unbeaten run with wins in their last two games. In a good game of football played on the 3G pitch at the Gerard Buxton Ground it was a really tight affair in the first forty-five minutes with neither side able to take the chances that came their way. The lively Connor Marsden went closest for the visitors with a shot the went just over the bar and Dale Richards and Charlie McCuish both had good chances for the home side but were unable to find the net. The second half saw the home side start to get on top and Nick Mason went close with a powerful shot which just went wide of the post. The deadlock was finally broken on 75 minutes. Pewsey keeper Sam Tuttle did well to keep the initial shot from the right hand side out but the ball fell to Bailey Gallagher close to the touch line at the far post and he fired in from the tightest of angles to make it 1-0 to Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. The home side extended their lead shortly afterwards, Josh Bolton getting on the end of a Ben Paul cross from the right-hand side to head powerfully into the net. With ninety minutes on the clock Bailey Gallagher then went on a mazy run into the box and was upended giving the home side a penalty. Gallagher having won the penalty took the spot kick and fired powerfully past Tuttle to make the final score 3-0 to the home side and bring Pewsey’s winning run to an end. Both sides remained where they started the day in terms of the respective league positions.
Action from today's game between Royal W.Bassett Town Development and Pewsey Vale
Trowbridge Town ended a winless run with a 3-1 away win over bottom of the table Ludgershall Sports. Star of the show was Alex Pippard who scored a hat-trick for the visitors, his second hat-trick of the season. Aaron Rosser replied for Ludgershall with a header from a free kick from the edge of the eighteen-yard box. The win lifted Trowbridge a place in the table as they moved above neighbours Frome Collegians into ninth spot.
Results, Saturday 25th January 2020
Premier Division
Ludgershall Sports 1 Trowbridge Town 3
Marlborough Town 0 Kintbury Rangers 0
Purton 2 Melksham Town Res 4
Royal W. Bassett T Dev 3  Pewsey Vale 0
Shrewton United 2 Frome Collegians 1
Stratton Juniors 2 Corsham Town Res 5
Saturday 25 January 2020
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