Letcombe - Premier Division Runners-up Season 2024-25

Premier Division

It has been a busy week for Malmesbury Victoria with their first team playing four games in the Hellenic League and their Development side also playing twice in midweek as they played catch up following the pitch issues that have blighted the club’s season which is almost certainly going to result in relegation for both their sides. However, it was to prove to be good week for the Development side as they picked up back-to-back 3-2 wins. On Wednesday night goals from Josh Hughes, Ciaran Lyon and Robin Collier gave Malmesbury Vics Development  the 3-2 win over Wroughton, Nick Craft and Tadhg Callahan with the Wroughton goals. The defeat for Wroughton saw them miss out on moving back into the top five.

Malmesbury Vics Dev  were then back in action on Friday night when they entertained the side just above them in the table, Faringdon Town. Faringdon had gone all season without winning on the road and they were looking to break that duck under the lights at the Flying Monk in their final game of the season. It started well for the visitors, leading scorer Kyle Bowyer giving them a 1-0 lead on 12 minutes. Malmesbury got themselves back on level terms just after the half hour mark, the ball being fired home by Joe Liddington when a header at goal came back of the post.  Malmesbury then went close to going in front six minutes before the break but an excellent save from Faringdon keeper Jack Gibson kept the scores level. Not for long though as Ciaran Lyon fired Malmesbury in front a minute later with a shot on the half volley to give the home side a 2-1 half time lead.  Malmesbury suffered a blow ten minutes into the second half when experienced Josh Hughes was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge which mean Malmesbury would have to play the remainder of the half with just ten men. The score remained 2-1 until just after the hour mark when, despite their numerical disadvantage, Will Goodey extended Malmesbury’s lead with a third goal for the home side. The two-goal advantage did not last long though as Faringdon reduced the deficit within three minutes of going 3-1 down, former Malmesbury player Zach Bruce getting on the end of a George James pass to score at the far post. Faringdon then went close to getting back on level terms when Mitchell Coombes saw his strike on goal turned onto the post by the Malmesbury keeper Antony Brown. That was the closest they went to finding the net as the ten men of Malmesbury held out for the remaining 20 minutes to record a fourth win of the season and deny Faringdon that first elusive away win of the season. With seven games to go, all at home, Malmesbury could yet finish above their beaten opponents in the league table.

With the title already wrapped up Kintbury Rangers could be forgiven if they were to take their foot off the gas. However, despite having a few players missing on Saturday, they pushed Trowbridge Town all the way at Woodmarsh in an entertaining encounter between the two sides. As a mark of respect to Kintbury's title win, Trowbridge Town had formed a guard of honour for Kintbury as they enterered the pitch ahead of the game. It did not start well for the champions as Kintbury trailed 2-0 with just over half an hour gone, the first a penalty from Jamie Lyons, after George Bendle had been brought down in the box, and the second a George Bendle goal after good work from Rhys Phillips,  and it looked like Kintbury were in for a difficult afternoon. The visitors then staged a comeback in the final ten minutes of the first half to go in level at the break. Harry Way reduced the deficit when he fired home from a free kick and then Charlie Adams pulled them back level three minutes later with a well-placed lob over home keeper Jack Amor to go into the half time break with all still to play for. The start of the second half saw both sides temporarily reduced to ten men with players sent to the sin bin as both sides fought to get themselves in front.  It would remain all square until 22 minutes from time when Charlie Maddison restored Trowbridge’s lead, a ball over the top from Jake Samuel finding Maddison in the clear and he calmly lobbed Kintbury keeper Charlie McCready to put Trowbridge 3-2 up. That would be the end of the afternoon’s scoring as Trowbridge held out for a vital win to keep alive their chances of a top five finish and inflicted only a third defeat of the season on Kintbury. Alwyn Bodman was at the game with his camera and more of his pictures can be seen on the League Group Facebook Page.

With the title already decided, Letcombe had the opportunity to secure runners-up spot behind Kintbury Rangers if they could beat a much-improved Salisbury Development side who have been in good form in recent months. It would be mission accomplished for Luke Stone’s side but they were made to work hard for the three points by the young Salisbury side, a solitary strike from leading scorer Ben Cleary being the difference between the two sides. The win was enough to give Letcombe that second place finish behind Kintbury and that is now eight games unbeaten for Letcombe, seven of which have been won, their only dropped points coming in a 0-0 draw with Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. With four games to go, starting with a midweek trip to Bath on Wednesday to take on Larkhall Athletic Development, Letcombe will be looking to maintain that recent run to finish as close as possible to Kintbury.

Kingsdown are another side on a long unbeaten run, and they went into their home game against Larkhall Athletic Development unbeaten in their previous nine games in all competitions and unbeaten in eleven games in the league. That unbeaten league run now extends to 12 games as a solitary strike from Finley Merchant right at the end of the game was enough to give his side all three points. Kingsdown remain in third place in the table with three games to play, on Bank Holiday Monday they travel to Letcombe before ending their home games with a visit on Park United and then end the season away against Pewsey Vale.

On the subject of Pewsey Vale they remain in fourth place, a point behind Kingsdown with three games to play also. On Saturday they avenged last week’s home defeat at the hands of Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves with a narrow 1-0 away win in the reverse fixture in Salisbury, leading scorer Josh Fowler with the only goal of the game. Next up for a Pewsey are a trip to Trowbridge Town next Saturday before they end the season with two home games against Letcombe and that visit from Kingsdown which could well end up being a decider for third spot. 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

Shrewton United remain on track for a top five finish, which would give them an outside chance of promotion to Step 6 should the FA decide to take two sides from the league, with a 4-1 away win at Calne Town Reserves. A storming opening 20 minutes saw George Plank’s side build up a 2-0 lead. Charlie Utterson opened the scoring on 16 minutes and two minutes later Morgan Aldridge doubled their lead. Five minutes later Calne pulled one back through Lewis Royston but that was as good as it got for the home side. An eleventh goal of the season from Brennan Knowles restored Shrewton’s two goal advantage going into the half time break and then a second for Aldridge 13 minutes from time rounded off a good afternoon for the visitors as they ran out 4-1 winners. They remain in fifth spot and are guaranteed at least fifth place if they win their last two games against Park United at home next week and then away against Malmesbury Victoria Development the following week.

Wroughton bounced back from that midweek defeat at Malmesbury with an assured performance at the Weir Field against Park United to complete a league double over their beaten opponents. Two more goals from Jonathan Peachey-Score took his adjusted total for the season to 31, former Blunsdon player Jamie Pidgeon with the other Wroughton goal, Lewis McCarron with the Park United reply, taking his adjusted total for the season to 16. The win for Wroughton sees them remain in sixth spot in the table with two games to go against Melksham Town Reserves at home and Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves away.  

Shrivenham and Melksham Town Reserves started the day level on points separated only by goal difference and a close encounter was anticipated and it proved to be just that. The home side Shrivenham went in front when Robbie Hendry headed home from a corner to give Shrivenham a 1-0 half time lead. Melksham turned things around in the second half though as goals from Ollie Curtis and Jake Dodge secured a 2-1 win for the visitors which saw Melksham move above their beaten opponents and into seventh spot in the table.

Division One

The big game of the day in Division One was the meeting of the top two sides Cricklade Town and Devizes Town Reserves at Nursteed Road. Ahead of the game Cricklade had a six-point lead over Devizes with Devizes having played one more game with Cricklade very much in the driving seat, with Devizes knowing they probably needed to beat Cricklade if they were to have any chance of catching and overhauling their opponents. In front of a sizeable crowd, bigger than many Step 5 and 6 clubs yesterday, it started well for Devizes with Jordan Anning putting them ahead on 23 minutes capitalising on a mistake in the Cricklade defence. It remained 1-0 at the break but Cricklade got themselves back on level terms early in the second half, Chris Jackson getting on the end of a Harry Ayres free kick. Having got themselves back on level terms Cricklade then found themselves down to ten men when Zak Robinson was sent off. Devizes took full advantage of the extra man, Finley Palmer restoring their lead on 68 minutes before Theo Drewitt added a third eight minutes from time to make sure of the points. The 3-1 win for Devizes means the gap at the top is now down to three points but Cricklade remain in the driving seat with that game in hand and four games to play, with Cricklade needing seven points from those four games to make sure of the title. David Giles was at the game on Saturday with his camera and more of his pictures can be found on the League Facebook Group Page.

Down Ampney  are up to third place in the table following their fourth straight win in the league, those four victories seeing Down Ampney hit the back of the net 28 times, the latest success being an 8-2 away win at struggling Stratton Juniors. There was a hat-trick for Harvey Coster, Coster taking his tally for the season to 29, Nick Mason bagged a brace with the other Down Ampney goals coming through Thomas Austin, Connor Hibbs and Steven Algar. Down Ampney remain nine points behind Devizes but are still in the title race with three games in hand over Devizes and two over Cricklade, one of which is this coming Tuesday when they travel to Kintbury Rangers Development.

Bradford Town Reserves  climbed a couple of places in the table with a comfortable 7-0 win over bottom of the table Purton, with seven different players getting their name on the score sheet. Corey Pugh opened the scoring before a twelfth of the season from Harry Ledbury doubled the home side’s lead. Further goals from Ashton Buckland and Charlie Barber saw Bradford Town lead 4-0 at the break. The second half saw them add three more goals through Ewan Backwill, Jack Knight and Kieran Balchin, the latter taking his total for the season to 17.

Marlborough Town  became the second side in the Division to complete their fixtures and the season was to end on a winning note with a 2-1 victory over Lambourn Sports, Lewis Shaw with goal number 27 of the season for Lambourn. The win for Marlborough sees them currently sit fifth in the table but they could yet still be overtaken by Bratton who still have seven games still to play due to their county cup exploits and teams calling games off against them due to being unable to raise a side.  

At the bottom end of the table, Pewsey Vale Development did their chances of avoiding having to apply for re-election the power of good with a narrow 1-0 home win over Kingsdown Development, completing a league double over their beaten opponents. The only goal of the game came courtesy of an own goal and the win for Pewsey saw them move above Stratton Juniors and out of the re-election zone on goal difference. Pewsey have four games to play whilst Stratton, who have a vastly inferior goal difference, now have just the three games to go, all of which look to be tough fixtures.

The other scheduled game in the division between Bratton and Kintbury Rangers Development did not go ahead with Kintbury unable to raise a side, despite having a vast number of players signed on. First team call ups and injuries following their midweek county cup win saw Kintbury postpone the Development team game, and they will be the latest side to suffer a points deduction and fine. The game away at Bratton has now been rearranged for this coming Thursday night given that both teams still have seven games to play and Bratton lose the use of their pitch to cricket at the end of the month.

David Grainge Trophy Final

On Wednesday night Kintbury Rangers Development had been involved in the final of the Berks & Bucks County FA David Grainge Trophy, their opponents being Wraysbury Village, the league leaders from Division Two of the Thames Valley League who had lost just one game all season in their league. It was to prove to be another night of celebration for Kintbury Rangers. They went in front with just ten minutes gone, Charlie Adams scoring within a minute of coming on as a substitute. Leading scorer Harry Murtagh then doubled their lead on 38 minutes with his 26^th goal of the season in all competitions for his side. Wraysbury Village pulled one back early in the second half, but Kintbury restored their two-goal advantage on 65 minutes with a deflected shot from Jamie Wallen. A second for Wraysbury caused a few nervous moments for Kintbury towards the end of the game but they held out to lift the trophy. Congratulations from all at the Wiltshire Senior League on this County Cup success.