Kintbury Rangers - League Champions Season 2024-25

Premier Division

League champions Kintbury Rangers, having secured the title last week, did not take their foot off the gas for the visit of Wroughton to the Recreation Ground on the day they were formally presented with the League winning trophy that they had last won back in Season 2017-18. Leading 1-0 at the break thanks to a goal from Danny Hale, a second for Hale and one from leading scorer Kye Williams put them in a commanding 3-0 lead. However, a late rally from Wroughton, who were looking to bounce back from Wednesday's defeat in the Wiltshire Senior Cup Final,  saw them score twice through Nick Craft and Lewis Sandwith. However, there was to be no equaliser as Kintbury added three more points to their impressive tally and maintain their 19-point lead at the top of the table. After the match Kintbury were presented with the championship trophy and individual awards by League Chairman, Brian Busson. Kintbury now finish the season with two away games against Trowbridge Town and Shrivenham. 

It has been a good week for Letcombe in the battle for runners-up spot. On Wednesday night they had a comfortable evening away at Malmesbury Victoria Development where a hat-trick from Ben Cleary plus further goals from Callum Hendry, Kieran Kerby and Xavi Diaz secured a 6-0 win. They followed that up on Saturday with a narrow 2-1 win over Shrewton United thanks to goals from Xavi Diaz and Archie Brew. Generally in control of the match,  Letcombe built up a 2-0 lead but then conceded a late penalty which Shrewton’s Brennan Knowles duly put away for his tenth goal of the season to make the final score 2-1. Letcombe are now just one win away from confirming runners-up spot in their first season in the league.

After last week’s come from behind win in the League Cup semi final at Down Ampney, Bemerton Heath Harlequins continued that winning habit that has now seen them win four in a row in all competitions with an impressive 4-2 away win at another of the form sides Pewsey Vale. Archie Ingram had bagged a brace in that cup semi final win and was at it again on Saturday, hitting another two goals with further strikes from captain Dean Reynolds and Ethan Trigwell. The two goals for Pewsey were scored by veteran Ryan Banks and leading scorer Josh Fowler. The defeat for Pewsey ended their run of five straight wins and saw them slip one place in the table to fourth place. Bemerton's Tony Smith was at the game with his camera and more of his excellent pictures can be found on his website at efc.smugmug.com

Kingsdown moved above Pewsey in the table into third spot following a narrow 2-1 win over Melksham Town Reserves. On target for the Swindon based side were Tom Rejek and Antonio Gerrish, with Ollie Farrell continuing his recent good form in front of goal with the Melksham Town Reserves reply. With four games to go Kingsdown still have an outside chance of catching Letcombe but would need to win all their games and hope that Letcombe fail to pick up three points in their final five games and realistically the highest Kingsdown are likely to finish is in third spot. After the weekend’s round of games Kingsdown are one point ahead of Pewsey with both teams having four games to play.

There were two massive games at the bottom end of the table involving four of the sides fighting to avoid the drop. Subject to no teams dropping down from Step 6 and assuming one side is promoted from the league to Step 6, Larkhall Athletic Development confirmed their status in the Premier Division for next season with a sixth straight win in the league, which would be seven were it not for Blunsdon’s withdrawal from the league. They have certainly hit form at the right time and their 3-0 home win over Faringdon Town all but condemned Faringdon to a return to Division One after just one season. Goals from Luke Masero, James Okell and a third from James Horrocks did the damage for Larkhall. Faringdon had started the stronger for the first 15 minutes but Larkhall went ahead against the run of play,  Ben Riccio's pass put Masero through on goal and the winger making his first start of the season finished well. Moments later Masero was denied a second as his header was cleared off the line. Larkhall extended their led on 35 minutes, Arlo Stone rolling the ball along the six yard line for Okell to score. Okell went from scorer to provider when his corner was headed home by Horrocks on 65 minutes to secure all three points for Larkhall. History was made late on as two father/son combinations were on the pitch at the same time, Assistant Manager Mark Burge and his son Max being joined by Ben Riccio and Manager James Riccio. Larkhall Athletic Development moved above both Calne Town Reserves and Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development as a result of the win. For Faringdon, whilst there is still a mathematical change of avoiding the drop they would need to win away from home in their final game against Malmesbury Victoria Development, something they have not done all season, and win by a very large margin, and then hope that Salisbury Development lost both their remaining two games by a large margin to reverse a 21 goal differential at the present moment in time

There was an entertaining encounter at the bottom end of the table at the Ray Mac between two relegation threatened sides Salisbury Development and Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. Mani Mesas gave the visitors Royal Wootton Bassett an early lead from a corner, but Ferhat Canlier continued his recent good form in front of goal with an equaliser for Salisbury just after the half hour mark. Jack Stacey then put Salisbury ahead in injury time at the end of the half to give the home side a 2-1 lead at half time.  A Dylan Griffin double turned the game around in the second half, his second coming from the penalty spot 16 minutes from time. There was to be late drama though with Salisbury equalising in the dying seconds through Dilon Gurung to give Salisbury a share of the points. Larkhall’s win saw Royal Wootton Bassett Town drop a place to 14^th, five points clear of Salisbury who have the one game in hand. Royal Wootton Bassett, assuming no change in the anticipated movements between the League and Step 6, are now safe whilst Salisbury are also looking like they will survive, Indeed Salisbury can still overtake Royal Wootton Bassett but must win their last two games to do so, which includes a trip with Letcombe for a game in which Letcombe will be looking to confirm that runners-up spot.

The final scheduled game of the day between Trowbridge Town and Shrivenham at Woodmarsh was postponed by Trowbridge who were unable to raise a side to fulfil the fixture despite having 69 players signed on and still playing their game in the Trowbridge & District League Cup, which was switched to Woodmarsh once the first team game had been postponed.

Division One

In Division 1, Cricklade Town took another step towards the league title with a 6-2 away win at Bradford Town Reserves this after being 1-0 down at the break to a Tyler Robinson goal for Bradford Town Reserves. Harry Ayres got the league leaders back on level terms five minutes into the second half and then Ellis McSharry put them 2-1 up two minutes later. Having got their noses in front there was no looking back for the title favourites as further goals from Alex Hammond and Levi Cox put them 4-1 up. Alfie Presley then made it 5-1 on 75 minutes. Bradford Town pulled one back courtesy of an own goal, but Presley then rounded off the day’s scoring with a sixth for Cricklade in the last minute of the game. With five games still to play for the leaders, they now need seven more points to be crowned champions.

Devizes Town Reserves and Down Ampney have not given up the chase and both picked up big wins. Devizes Town Reserves defeated near neighbours Pewsey Vale Development 6-1 at home. Harvey Swain led the way scoring a hat-trick, with leading scorer Jordan Anning adding two more to his season’s tally and the other goal coming through Eoin O’Grady, Ryan Lees with the consolation goal for Pewsey. The win for Devizes sees them remain six points behind Cricklade with the top two set to meet each other next Saturday at Nursteed Road.

Down Ampney also scored six in their home game against Kintbury Rangers Development, bouncing back immediately from the disappointment of last week’s narrow league cup semi final defeat at the hands of Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves. Leading scorer Charlie McCuish scored a hat-trick to take his total for the season to 33, Connor Hibbs scored twice with the other goal coming courtesy of an own goal. The win for Down Ampney saw them move above Marlborough Town into fourth place in the table, some 15 points adrift of Cricklade Town but with two games in hand. This was not the best way for Kintbury Rangers Development to warm up for Wednesday night’s Berks & Bucks FA David Grainge Trophy cup final at Abingdon United.

Biggest winners of the day were third placed Bishops Cannings who ended their season on a winning note, recording their biggest win of the season in their last outing, with a 21-3 thumping of an out of sorts Stratton Juniors. Star of the show was leading scorer Szymon Raczek who hit eight of the Bishops Cannings goals to take over at the top of the goal scoring chart for the season on 37 goals. Plenty of goals also for Harry Drewitt who helped himself to a double hat-trick, Oliver Barnes also getting a hat-trick, Samuel Jones bagged a brace and there were further goals from Kony Wildman and Lleyton Edwards. The three consolation goals for Stratton were scored by Lewis Taylor, Aaron Wellend and James Kirbirie.

Purton  went mightily close to capturing their first point of the season away at Shrivenham Development in a battling performance. In the end the only goal of the game was scored by Shrivenham keeper Lewis Fox who saw his direct free kick find its way into the net to secure the points for the home side. Credit to Purton for continue to play their games and clearly improving as the season has progressed.

One of the in-form teams in the division are Bratton who made it three wins in a row with a 4-1 away win at Marlborough Town. Two more goals for Jack Booth as he took his total for the season to 25 with new signing Josh Drury also bagging a brace on his debut for Bratton.

The final game of the day in Division One saw Lambourn Sports  and Redhouse share the points following a 2-2 draw, Daniel Axford and Aaron Dale with the two goals for Redhouse, Lewis Shaw and Kias Bonner Shea with the goals for Lambourn Sports.