Vets' Roundup Weeks 34

Melksham Champions Again in Mid Wilts,

Cricklade Town Runners-up in North

Melksham Town Vets,  Mid Wiltshire Division Champions after their play-off win

Mid Wiltshire Division

Last Monday night saw the play-off for the Mid Wiltshire Division league title after both Melksham Town, the reigning champions, and Devizes Town had finished level on 45 points after their 16 league fixtures. Melksham’s 1-0 win away at Devizes at the end of April inflicting a first defeat of the season on Devizes in their final game necessitating the requirement for a play-off to decide matters.

The play-off took place at Green Lane, home of the Wiltshire FA, and drew a sizeable crowd for a veterans’ fixture. The crowd were to be entertained with a extremely high standard close encounter between two very good veterans’ sides. It was Melksham Town who went in front early on, a foul inside the box seeing a penalty awarded to Melksham. Aaron Ledgister, who had scored that goal to inflict that earlier defeat on Devizes, took responsibility for the penalty. Whilst the Devizes keeper guessed right the penalty was well placed giving the keeper no chance as Melksham went 1-0 up. They then doubled their lead thanks to goal number 27 of the season from the division’s leading scorer Gary Higdon, the Devizes keeper failing to hold onto a ball into the box allowing Higdon to nip in and score to make it 2-0 to Melksham. Devizes pushed hard to try and get back into the game and were rewarded with a well taken goal from Mark Dolman five minutes before half time.

The early stages of the second half saw Devizes Town play with a numerical advantage with Melksham Town having a player sent off for a second yellow card enabling Devizes to push hard for an equaliser. They went close on several occasions but couldn’t find a way through. Numbers were leveled up when they also had a player sent off for a second yellow card offence.  At the other end Melksham always looked dangerous on the break, with Higdon looking a threat, but there were to be no further goals as Melksham avoided conceding again to make it back-to-back titles. Congratulations to Melksham Town on their title win and to Devizes for going so close to lifting the title, they were effectively three minutes from the title, that late winner for Melksham three minutes from time from a free kick resulting in the need for a play-off. The winners and runners up medals were presented by League Chairman Brian Busson assisted by the Veterans' Referees Secretary Duncan Clarke.

Both David Giles and Mark Smedley were at the game with their cameras and  more pictures from the game can be found on the League Facebook Group page.

Aaron Ledgister fires Melksham ahead from the penalty spot

Gary Higdon who scored the second goal which proved to be the winner

North Wiltshire Division

With the League title already decided in the North Wiltshire Division, with both Cricklade Town and Redhouse finishing level on points, the final game of the season in the division was a play-off to decide runners-up position. It was to prove to be Cricklade's night as they claimed that second spot in the North Wilts Division thanks to a 3-0 win. A goal after just seven minutes from Ben Snook gave Cricklade a 1-0 half time lead. Their second came around the same time in the second half through Nick Craft and they sealed matters with a third five minutes from time, Marcus Hall with the goal. Tempers flared late on, leaving the Referee no option than to show two red cards, one for each side. The runners up medals were presented to Cricklade Town by Duncan Clarke, Referee Appointments Secretary for the two Veterans Divisions.

Final

Results Grid  

Final Top

Goal Scorers Charts