Tomorrow night, Wroughton will once again look to become the first team from the Wiltshire Senior League to lift the prestigious Wiltshire County FA Senior Cup since Trowbridge Town achieved that feat back in Season 2003-4. The cup has been won over the years by all the big names in Wiltshire football including Swindon Town. In the intervening 21 years since Trowbridge lifted the cup,  just two teams from the league have made the final, one being Wroughton themselves, who were in the final two seasons ago but were beaten 6-2 by Downton. Then last season Amesbury Town made it through to the final on the way to the Premier Division league title and promotion. In the final they pushed cup holders Downton form the Wessex League all the way, taking the game to penalties after it finished 1-1. Unfortunately, it was the Step 6 side who won the penalty shoot out to win the cup for a third consecutive season. With Downton now promoted to Step 5 of the National League System they have been unable to defend the cup this season meaning there will be a different name on the trophy for the first time in three years come the end of tomorrow night’s final at Chippenham Town.

The final sees Wroughton up against Devizes Town who were in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League just two seasons ago, winning promotion back to the Western League at the first attempt back in Season 2022-23. The two games between the two sides that season saw the teams draw 1-1 at Devizes at the beginning of the season in August and then Devizes win the return fixture 3-1 at the Weir Field towards the end of the season. Devizes Town have won the Wiltshire Senior Cup more times than any other club in the county, lifting the cup on 14 occasions, although their last win was way back in 1978-79, 46 years ago.

Wroughton’s route to the final saw them receive a bye in Round One. In the second round they were away to last season’s runners up Amesbury Town. It was an entertaining affair that saw the sides share six goals, Wroughton’s leading scorer Jonathan Peachey-Score bagging a brace and one for Bonsa Teshome. With the scores tied at 3-3 at the end of 90 minutes it meant penalties were needed to settle matters, Wroughton winning the shootout 5-4 in sudden death, Nathan Barbato netting the winning penalty.

The quarter final saw Wroughton up against fellow Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League side Trowbridge Town. The game guaranteed the league a second semi-finalist with Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development already through to the last four. Wroughton started brightly and went close to scoring in the very first minute of the match, Jono Peachey-Score seeing his effort turned around the post by Zak Beard in the Trowbridge goal. At the other end, an individual run by Ben Wickens down the right saw him cut in and hit a shot that was deflected over for a corner. With just eleven minutes on the clock, Peachey-Score went close again his shot from the edge of the box going just wide with keeper Beard being adjudged to have got a hand to it again. After going close on a couple of occasions it was no surprise that it was the home side who went in front and it was an absolutely stunning goal from Aaron Maximen, controlling a cross from David Murray initially on his chest and then his thigh and then hitting an unstoppable shot past Beard from the edge of the area. Wroughton continued to press and twice Beard was forced to make saves to deny them, firstly from a shot by Max Scholefield and then Peachey-Score with another shot from just outside the area. A minute later Peachey-Score went close again heading just over from a cross from the left. Wroughton went close again shortly after, Alex Hammond shooting just wide as he cut in from the right-hand side of the box. Despite this pressure it was to be Trowbridge who got the second goal of the game, George Bendle firing in after a Jamie Jordan corner was only half cleared and fell to him just inside the box. Two minutes before the break Peachey-Score had another chance but it went straight to Beard in the Trowbridge goal, and it remained all square at the break.

It remained that way until just before the hour mark, and again the goal came from a corner kick. A group of players challenged for the ball in the air and the ball seemed to come off the shoulder of Maximen and end up in the Trowbridge net for his second of the game to give Wroughton a 2-1 lead. Wroughton then scored a third and what turned out to be the final goal of the game, Maximen going from scorer to provider setting up Peachey-Score to make it 3-1. Trowbridge threw everything forward, putting some dangerous long throws into the box but Wroughton safely saw out the final minutes to join Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, Devizes Town and Warminster Town in the semi-final.

The two remaining Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League sides then drew each other in the semi-final guaranteeing the league a finalist for the third consecutive season. The semi-final tie was staged at Swindon Supermarine. It would prove to be a game of limited chances with the two sides very much cancelling each other out over the 90 minutes. The chances that came the way of each side generally involved their leading scorers, Wroughton’s Jonathan Peachey-Score and Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development’s Flynn Walters, either in the build-up play or in the final attempt at goal. It was the relegation threatened Royal Wootton Bassett who created the early first half chances. A free kick from Walters causing problems in the Wroughton defence but nobody was able to get a clear shot on goal and the danger was cleared by the Wroughton back line. Next up a move down the right flank saw the ball played into Wroughton box, eventually reaching the feet of Mani Mesas, who held the ball up before laying it back to Afonso Ferreira, but he scuffed his shot which ended up going well wide of the post. At the other end Peachey-Score was off target with the first real chance that came his way, a ball over the top from Max Scholefield found him on the left-hand side of the opposition box, Peachey-Score cutting in before hitting a shot which sailed high and wide of the goal. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development full back Oliver Smith was the next to have a sight of goal, the ball falling to him after a challenge from Walters on the edge of the Wroughton box, but his low shot was another that went well wide without troubling Wroughton keeper Luke Kuczynski. The last real chance of the first half once again involved Peachey-Score, a ball from the right from Kassa Anderson finding Peachey-Score on the edge of the box, he turned his defender before firing a shot straight at keeper Adam House who was well positioned to pull off the save and then see his defence clear the ball to safety.

The first real chance of the second half fell to Wroughton, a short pass from Anderson finding Aaron Maximen on the edge of the box and his turn and shot saw the ball just go the wrong side of the post as it remained 0-0. At the other end Kuczynski did well to punch a close-range effort from Jonny Aitkenhead from the edge of the six-yard box over the bar. The closest either side went to finding the back of the net in 90 minutes came when a quick break out from defence saw Peachey-Score get away from the Royal Wootton Bassett Town defence before forcing House into an excellent save to push the ball away to safety. Another half chance at the other end saw George Staten put Walters in the clear but a great recovering tackle just before he prepared to pull the trigger once again ensured it remained 0-0 and the final whistle meant penalties would be needed to decide matters.

As noted above, Wroughton had beaten Amesbury Town in the Second Round in a penalty shootout and once again demonstrated their proficiency from 12 yards, whilst nerves possibly got the better of their opponents. George Lance, Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s usual penalty taker hit the post with his effort. Peachey-Score then followed and the Wroughton striker made no mistake firing high into the top corner of the net giving House no chance. Mani Mesas then saw his spot kick saved by Wroughton keeper Kuczynski and when Max Scholefield made no mistake with penalty number two for Wroughton the pressure was on Walters to make sure he kept his side in the contest, but he fired way over, meaning if Wroughton scored their third they would be through. Experienced campaigner and Wroughton legend Shane Hibbert took the responsibility and fired home to send Wroughton into their second Wiltshire Senior Cup final in three seasons.

Devizes Town’s route to the final has seen them play one more game than Wroughton, having been involved in the only tie of the first round against Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League side Salisbury Development, Devizes winning 3-1 to line up a second round home tie against fellow Jewson Western League side Bradford Town. That second round game was a tight affair decided by a solitary goal from Devizes Town’s Keiron Gleed.

The quarter final saw Devizes once again at home with Devizes up against another side from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League, Melksham Town Reserves. Devizes led 2-0 at the break and, despite scoring two of their own in the second half Melksham were unable to get the better of their Step 6 opponents who scored two further goals to run out 4-2 winners on the night thanks to goals from Leigh Rogers, Rhys Talmash, Josh Parsons and Dan Skinner.

The semi final saw the two sides from the Jewson Western League draw each other with Devizes Town up against Warminster Town at Chippenham Town’s ground. Goals from Luke Hopper, Jamie Walters and William Thomson ensured it would be Devizes who booked their place in tomorrow night’s final and a return to Chippenham Town.

Devizes currently sit in fourth place in the table and if it stays that way will be in the end of season play-offs for promotion to Step 5, just two seasons after returning to the Western League. Devizes will clearly start as favourites tomorrrow night, but as Wroughton have already demonstrated against Amesbury Town, Wroughton are capable of beating higher league opponents on their day. Best wishes to Wroughton for tomorrow's final from all at the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League. The game is set to kick-off at 7:45PM.