Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Top Two March On
With Victories Over
Fellow Top Four Sides

 Action from Trowbridge's 3-1 win over Frome Collegians

(picture courtesy of Gary Caldicott)

Tuesday night saw two big games involving the top four sides who all went into the games unbeaten at the start of the night. Come 9.30pm the number of unbeaten sides remaining had been halved to just two, Trowbridge Town and Devizes Town.

Trowbridge Town entertained near neighbours Frome Collegians looking to maintain their 100% winning start to the season. The last time Frome had visited Woodmarsh they had been well and truly thrashed, going down 9-1 and Karl Freeman’s side were keen to put up a much better performance on their return to Trowbridge. In a tight first half just a single goal from Trowbridge’s George Bendle, with his sixth goal of the season just before half time, separated the teams at the break. Frome had gone close a couple of time before the goal, both Ross Knapton and Aaron Baines seeing headers come back off the crossbar. Scott Baker extended Trowbridge’s lead within two minutes of the restart when he lobbed Ben Forester in the Frome goal for 2-0. It remained that way until eight minutes from time when Tom Mack made it 3-0 with his first goal since his summer move from Melksham Town Reserves. Despite going further behind Frome immediately struck back, Max Biddescombe making it 3-1. Trowbridge safely saw out the remaining minutes to make sure no further damage was inflicted to secure their sixth straight win and retain their two-point lead at the top of the table.

  George Bendle (two goals) and Scott Baker who both scored in Trowbridge Town's 3-1 win over Frome Collegians

Devizes Town kept the pressure up on Trowbridge by retaining their own unbeaten record but left it late to inflict the first defeat of the season on Kintbury Rangers. Devizes were on top in the first half, putting the visitors under sustained pressure, but scored just the one goal through Billy Gleed with his third of the season.  Kintbury also scored one at the other end, Luke Conner netting for his fourth goal of the season. The second half continued in a similar fashion to the first half with Devizes putting the visitors under sustained pressure with Kintbury’s defence digging in to frustrate the home side. Just as it looked like the two sides would have to settle for a share of the points, an injury time free kick from Devizes ‘super-sub’ Derek Wheeler, found the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season to secure all three points, with four of those goals being scored after being introduced as a substitute in games.
 Twelve months previous, Wroughton had visited Malmesbury Victoria Development and been on the wrong end of a 7-0 score line with manager Ben Jarrett admitting that at the time he did not know how he would turn things round. Turn it round he most certainly has done as Wroughton bounced back from Saturday’s narrow defeat at the league leaders Trowbridge to record a 4-0 victory to avenge that heavy defeat twelve months earlier. Once again it was Jono Peachey-Score who did most of the damage starting and ending the nights scoring, with further goals from Kris Redford and Ollie Armstrong in between. For Peachey-Score that is now double figures for the season already after just six games.

  Jono Peachey-Score who took his tally for the season into double figures with two for Wroughton in their 4-0 win over Malmesbury

After an opening day defeat Pewsey Vale had started to put a little run of victories together, winning three on the bounce ahead of the big local derby against Marlborough Town. Whilst Pewsey had done the double over Marlborough in each of the previous two seasons Marlborough had been proving to be a difficult side to beat this season and a somewhat closer game than in those two previous seasons was anticipated. Indeed, it was the visitors Marlborough who took the lead in the very first minute of the match, Dan Burke with a thunderous strike giving Marlborough that early advantage. Pewsey got themselves back on level terms Jake Force-Jones getting on the end of a corner to make it 1-1. However, it was another powerful shot that restored Marlborough’s lead ahead of the half time break, Simon Neale giving Pewsey keeper Louie Latouche no chance with a 30-yard strike into the top corner of the net. Pewsey came out second half and had most of the play, but it took a penalty late on to peg back Marlborough for the second time in the game. The penalty came about after Ben England was brought down in the box and Connor Mardsen put the penalty away with the help of a post. Pewsey went in search of a winner and Oscar Middleton, Liam Edmondson and Zak Messenger all had chances that were not taken and just as it looked like the two sides would have to settle for a point apiece, Ben England fired in a winner for Pewsey after great work from Harvey Rutherford to make it four wins in a row for Pewsey and fifth place in the table with a game in hand on all of the top four sides.
 Last season’s champions Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development have had a poor start to the season and made the short journey to Calne Town Reserves having lost all four of their opening games and having been forced to call off last Saturday due to players being away over the Bank Holiday weekend. After a heavy opening day defeat, Calne had shown much improvement and went into the game on the back of a useful point from a draw with Marlborough on Saturday to add to the three they got in beating Melksham Town Reserves. It was tight in the early stages, but once Calne got themselves in front with a goal from Kian Fulford there was only likely to be one winner. When the same player added a second it was enough to give Calne all three points and inflict more pain on Craig Jones’ Royal Wootton Bassett Town side who will look to register their first points of the season when they travel to Shrewton United, although this historically has been a game that has yielded very few points.
Blunsdon and Stratton Juniors are the last two sides to be promoted from the Swindon & District League and they met at Sutton Park on Tuesday night with both having made decent starts to the 2022-23 Season. It turned out to be a high scoring and entertaining game. Blunsdon took an early lead, Eliot Wheatley firing in his third goal of the season from the penalty spot, after Harry Hillerby was upended in the box. Stratton got themselves back on level terms, a long ball over the top finding Corey Cullen who fired in to make it 1-1. Blunsdon got their noses back in front just before half-time, Rob Curtis setting up Harry Hillerby whose powerful shot found the back of the net to make it 2-1 to Blunsdon at the break. Blunsdon had chances early in the second half but failed to take advantage of the chances that came their way and were made to pay when Stratton drew back level for the second time in the game and it was Corey Cullen again the player doing the damage. A long throw found its way to Cullen at the far post and Stratton’s leading scorer slotted home just inside the post under keeper Will Gage for his fourth of the season. It remained all square until ten minutes from time when Blunsdon went in front for the third time in the game. Eliot Wheatley curled a free kick to the back post, where Harry Kearns smashed a header off the post as he put the ball back across goal and Rob Curtis followed in with the rebound to score with a diving header to make it 3-2. Stratton did not give up and were rewarded with a third of their own three minutes from time, Steven Keir scoring direct from a corner to level matters up at three goals apiece. There was still time for Stratton to go close to getting a winner, as had been the case on Saturday against Shrewton, Cullen once again being the player not taking that chance for what would have been his hat-trick, and it finished all square and a point each.

  Eliot Wheatley (Blunsdon) who opened the scoring and Corey Cullen (Stratton Juniors) who scored twice in Tuesday's 3-3 draw

Two sides who had not made the best of starts ahead of their game on Tuesday night at the Oakfield Stadium were Melksham Town Reserves and Odd Down Development. Odd Down were still seeking their first win of the season and they ended that unwanted record with a 4-2 away success over Craig Kent’s Melksham side. The goals were shared around the team with one each for Tyrone Mulholland, Corey Patterson, Lee Rudland and a second of the season from Bill Turner. Melksham’s goals were scored by Elliot Corp and Adam Mitchell, the latter scoring from the penalty spot his first since returning to Melksham from Corsham Town Reserves.

League Tables

Leading Scorers

Results and Saturday's Fixtures

1 September 2022
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