Mid Wiltshire Division
There was a full programme of games involving all the sides in the Mid Wiltshire Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League on Monday night. After the night’s activity it was Amesbury Junior who continued to set the pace at the top of the table. After finishing third form bottom last season, recording just three wins in their 18 league fixtures, they have already matched that total of last season in their first three fixtures. Clearly manager Iain Walker has recruited well in the short summer break with their latest win being a 3-2 success over one of last season’s leading sides Devizes Town. Amesbury led 3-0 at the break with Craig Watters, Mike Robinson and Dan Field scoring for the second consecutive game. Devizes came back into the game in the second half, Marcus Wallen and Jonathan Couch reducing the deficit but that was to be the end of the scoring with Amesbury taking the points courtesy of a 3-2 win.
Last season’s Mid Wiltshire Division champions Corsham Town moved second in the table with a comfortable win over the other Amesbury Junior side, the Badgers, scoring 14 goals without reply. Adam Taylor led the way smashing a double hat-trick, Stuart Skinner was not far behind scoring four and there was one apiece for Russell Lodge, Daniel Beck, Luke Chapman and Liam Brunker.
Last season’s runners-up in the Mid Wiltshire Division Melksham Town have started the season well and have now won both of their opening two games after a 2-0 away success against Trowbridge Tigers. They had started and ended last season with a win against the Tigers and they continued that winning streak, two goals from Simon Charity securing the win for Darren Perrin’s side.
Bradford Town had won last week in the Veterans’ County Cup and opened their league campaign with a 4-0 home success over former tenants St Andrews. Last season’s leading scorer Rhys Schell bagged a brace and their was a first for his new club from Steve Tweddle, having moved from Melksham Town in the summer, the other Bradford goal coming from Peter Ayrton.
Having lost their opening league game last week and also gone out of the Veterans’ County Cup, FC Calne picked up their first league points of the season with a narrow 2-1 away win at Chippenham Town Yard Dogs thanks to goals from last season’s top scorer Dan Allison and Adam O’Keeffe.
North Wiltshire Division
The action in the North Wiltshire Division also got underway on Monday night at Green Lane, Devizes, with South Cerney Rangers continuing their unbeaten start to the campaign with a narrow 4-3 win over Royal Wootton Bassett Town. The Rangers goals were shared around with Daniel Perry, Richard Edlington, Steven Algar and Craig Donnan all finding the target, Steve Howse (2) and Ben Gould with the goals for Royal Wootton Bassett Town.
After last week’s win in the Veterans’ County Cup, last season’s runners-up in the North Division Redhouse got their league campaign off to a winning start with a comfortable 5-0 win over bottom of the table AFC Swindon. Leading 2-0 at the break three further goals in the second half completed a good night’s work. On target for Redhouse were last season’s top scorer David Rendle who bagged a brace for the second consecutive game, Anthony McCusker also scored twice, the final goal coming through Chris Hughes.
On Wednesday night Stratton Juniors, who had ended last season in good form, got their league season off to a winning start with a 3-1 victory over Priory Vale thanks to goals from Jamie Ashby, Chris Quinton and Vince McMackin, James Lovell with the Priory Vale goal from the penalty spot.
Veterans’ County Cup
The final game in the Preliminary Round of the Wiltshire Veterans’ Cup took place on Tuesday night and Swindon Old Boys picked up their first win of the season with a 3-1 defeat of Swindon Rovers. Two goals from Joe Anderson plus one from Wayne Rickwood did the damage for Swindon Old Boys.
The Wiltshire FA have made the draw for the First Round of the competition and Swindon Old Boys are the lucky ones who drew Marlborough Town, who have now folded, giving Swindon Old Boys a bye into Round 2. There are also free passes to the next round for holders Melksham Town and Amesbury Junior Badgers as the two sides from the Southampton League who they were drawn against are now no longer taking part. The full draw is shown below:
Second Round Draw
Amesbury Jun Badgers v Alderbury (Home Walkover)
Bradford Town v AFC Swindon
Corsham Town v Royal W. Bassett Town
Cricklade Town v Devizes Town
KMLC v Redhouse
Redlynch & Woodfalls v Melksham Town (Away Walkover)
Trowbridge Tigers v Amesbury Junior
Swindon Old Boys v Marlborough Town (Home Walkover)
Four of the five remaining fixtures are scheduled for Monday 4th October 2021 with the other game between KMLC and Redhouse scheduled for the following night.
22 September 2021