Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Top Five All Win,
First Wins of Season for
RWBT & Salisbury Dev Teams

  Action from Royal W. Bassett Town's first win of the season 

League leaders Trowbridge Town were on the road this weekend, making their first visit to Sutton Park Blunsdon at Senior level. Blunsdon have adapted well to life at the higher level following their promotion from the Swindon & District League with just two defeats in their opening eight games. However, they had won just one, that a narrow 2-1 success over Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, the other five games all ending in draws. Trowbridge meanwhile had opened the season with eight straight wins, having also ended last season unbeaten in their final 12 games, 11 of which had been won. That unbeaten run of 20 games stretching back to January was extended to 21 games as goals from George Bendle and Josh Howlett secured a hard-fought  2-0 win for Trowbridge, the first time this season they have not scored three or more times in a game. Trowbridge will look to make it a perfect ten next week when they host Shrewton United, whilst Blunsdon will look to secure that second win when they entertain Marlborough Town.

Second in the table Devizes Town have kept the pressure on the leaders all season so far, winning seven of their opening eight games, their only dropped points ahead of the visit of Malmesbury Victoria Development coming in a 1-1 draw with Wroughton. In recent season’s Malmesbury have been consistently inconsistent and taken points off the leading sides whilst losing to those at the other end of the table. Last season they had taken four points off runners-up Pewsey Vale and drawn with the eventual champions Royal Wootton Bassett Town, which helped achieve their highest ever finish at Senior level. It did not start too well for them this afternoon though as Devizes raced into an early 2-0 lead before Matty Jones pulled one back for Malmesbury, all three goals coming in the opening 15 minutes. Devizes restored their two-goal advantage before half-time and then added a fourth in the second half to run out 4-1 winners and maintain that two-point gap to the leaders. Star of the show for Devizes was Jack Hopper who hit a hat-trick, the other Devizes goal coming through Gabe Costello with his third of the season. Next up for Devizes is a home game against Stratton Juniors as they look to keep the pressure on the league leaders.

    Jack Hopper (3) and Gabe Costello who got the goals in Devizes Town's 4-1 win over Malmesbury Vics Dev (pictures courtesy of David Giles)

Wroughton sat in third place ahead of today’s visit from Odd Down Development and they had achieved this current position in the table having played all seven of their opening games of the season away from home due to cricket being played on the Weir Field. Odd Down arrived having never beaten Wroughton in the three previous meetings, Wroughton having won two and drawn one, the draw having come in the corresponding fixture last season. That record continued as Wroughton ran out comfortable 5-1 winners. Sam Long set them on their way with an opener before an own goal doubled the lead. Leading scorer Jonathan Peachey-Score then got in on the goal scoring act, firing in his 12th goal of the campaign. Kyle Moulden added a fourth before Odd Down pulled one back. Luke Saunders rounded off the scoring with a fifth for Wroughton from the penalty spot as Wroughton stayed in touch with the top two, eight points behind Devizes with a game in hand.

  Sam Long and Kyle Moulden who were both on target in Wroughton's 5-1 win over Odd Down Development

Kintbury Rangers, who started the day in fourth spot, had been held to a 0-0 draw last week by bottom side Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development and were keen to get back to winning ways with Calne Town Reserves the visitors to the Recreation Ground. Calne had made a steady start to the season with three wins, three defeats and two draws, and started the day in seventh spot. It was all square at the break, Calne having gone in front with a goal from Eddie Summers, but Charlie Allsop equalised for the home side meaning the teams turned round with the score 1-1. Visitors Calne then went back in front early in the second half thanks to a Brett Fairclough goal but three unanswered goals for Kintbury through Luke Conner, Aiden Maycock and a second of the game for Charlie Allsop turned things round for the home side. The 4-2 win for Kintbury saw them stay level on points with Wroughton.

Pewsey Vale, for the second week running, were forced into an early kick-off with the Pewsey Carnival taking place. Melksham Town Reserves were the visitors with the two sides having already played each other once this season at the Oakfield Stadium back at the end of August. That afternoon Rory England hit a hat-trick for Pewsey Vale in a 4-2 win over Craig Kent’s side and Pewsey completed a quick-fire league double over Melksham, Andy Rossiter (2), Wayne House and captain Liam Edmondson scoring in a comfortable 4-0 win. Pewsey remained in fifth spot as a result of the win, just a point behind both Wroughton and Kintbury Rangers.

Shrewton United picked up their first win of the season last week, coming away from Calne with all three points following a 4-3 win. That success meant they went into today’s encounter with Frome Collegians unbeaten in their last three games. Opponents Frome Collegians were looking to put things right after a bad day at the office the previous week which had seen them ship six unanswered goals against one of the title favourites Devizes Town. Perhaps not surprisingly given those recent results for both sides there were more goals again this afternoon as the two sides served up a nine-goal thriller for the spectators. Shrewton had enticed last season’s leading scorer Charlie Utterson back into their Wiltshire Senior League squad and he made an immediate impact on his return. It had started well for Frome as goals from Ross Knapton and Max Biddescombe put them 2-0 up but player manager Jesse Walters got his side back into the game before Utterson got in on the act to make it 2-2 at the break. Utterson then scored again three minutes into the second half to put his side ahead for the first time in the match. Frome’s Jack Newman then restored parity from the penalty spot to make it 3-3. Utterson then scored again to complete his hat-trick to put his side back in front and then rounded off a good afternoon for himself by scoring his fourth of the game to make it 5-3 to Shrewton. Frome continued to battle away and were rewarded when Newman scored his second of the game to make it 5-4 and cause a few anxious moments for the Shrewton player-manager Walters in the final minutes of the match. Shrewton held on to secure a second straight win which saw them climb into eighth place in the table.

 Charlie Utterson who scored four times on his return to the Shrewton line-up

Two teams who were still looking for their first win of the season met at Elcot Lane this afternoon, where Marlborough Town’s visitors were Salisbury FC Development who have been struggling for players in recent weeks. It is pleasing to report they travelled to Marlborough with a full squad and hopefully this is a sign that things are on the up. Marlborough, whilst without a win, have made it very difficult for opponents who have found them to be a much tougher proposition than last season and both teams went into the fixture with realistic aspirations of three points. Come five o’clock it was Salisbury who were celebrating that first win of the season as goals from Carson Arnold, Lewis Cross and Dyllan Roocroft secured a 3-1 win. Marlborough’s consolation goal was scored by Luke Little from a corner in the second half.
The final game of the weekend was at the Sustain Stadium at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground where bottom of the table Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development went in search of their first win of the season after two excellent draws away at Shrewton United and Kintbury Rangers. The visitors this afternoon were Stratton Juniors who had Swindon Speedway manager Alun Rossiter in the dugout with manager Neil Lee serving a suspension that ended with today's game. Club coach Mark Simpkins, who had overseen those two draws, was in the opposite dugout, recently installed as the new permanent manager at Royal Wootton Bassett, replacing Craig Jones who had stepped down. Simpkins was hopeful of a first win of the season against an opponent his side had beaten 12-0 on their last visit. There was to be no repeat of that score line today, but it was the home side who dominated proceedings in the opening 45 minutes. They thought they had gone ahead as early as the fifth minute through Alfie Presley, but the goal was struck off for an offside in the build-up. Presley was not to be denied for long though, a ball over the top on 21 minutes saw him clear of the Stratton defence and he got to the ball just before the advancing Stratton keeper Sam Lowrie chipping the ball into the net before then being flattened by the keeper. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development continued to have the better of things with Harry Walters causing his former club all kinds of problems with his runs down the right. It was from one such run that his side doubled their lead, Manuel Mesas found the overlapping full back and his cross from the near the corner flag to the far post found the head of youngster Kevin Lartey who headed into the net for 2-0. Stratton, with the wind behind them in the second half, sought to get a foothold in the game with Moses Naisarani looking dangerous when he ran at the defence, but the home side’s defence was organised throughout and denied the visitors any clear-cut chances to claim their first win of the season and climb out of the bottom three. Newly installed manager Simpkins was no doubt pleased with both the win and a second consecutive clean sheet given the tough start to the season.

  Kevin Lartey and Alfie Presley who scored the goals in Royal W. Bassett Town Dev's 2-0 win over Stratton Juniors

 There was a full programme of three games in Division One this weekend with league leaders Ludgershall Sports facing a Kintbury Rangers Development side who were looking to bounce back from a 4-3 defeat in their last game against Kingsdown Lions. When the two sides met for the first-time last month, it had finished all square at one goal apiece and another close encounter was anticipated ahead of the game. Leading scorer Luke Holden put Ludgershall ahead on 21 minutes with his ninth of the campaign and an audacious short from the half-way line by George Donohue 20 minutes from time doubled the lead to make sure of the points.  For Ludgershall that is four wins and a draw from their opening six game as they opened up a six-point lead at the top of the table.

Kingsdown Lions, after an opening day defeat to Larkhall Athletic Development, had won two on the bounce and sat second in the table ahead of today’s visit from Devizes Town Reserves. Devizes only defeat so far this season had come at the hands of the league leaders Ludgershall and another close game was anticipated. In the end, goals from Tyler Smith, Oliver Barnes and an own goal were enough to give Devizes all three points in a 3-1 win, Aiden Miller with the reply for Kingsdown Lions. The win for Devizes saw them climb to second spot in the table behind Ludgershall Sports, whilst Kingsdown Lions dropped to fifth spot in tight division below the leaders.
  Bottom of the table Purton were thankfully able to raise a side for today’s visit from Pewsey Vale Development after having called off last week and were looking to get their first points on the board. When the two sides had met back in August at Pewsey Recreation Ground, Pewsey had won 5-1 including a brace from Melvin Tatah. Whilst the score was a lot closer in the return game Purton are still looking for their first point after Pewsey’s 3-1 win. However, Purton manager Andi Philpott noted that it was his sides best performance of the season, with Pewsey getting their last two goals only in the final 12 minutes. In a tight first half Jordan Ball put Pewsey Vale Development 1-0 up five minutes before half time. However, Purton got themselves back on level terms within five minutes of the restart through Harrison Bennett with his second goal of the season. It remained all square until 12 minutes from time when Harry Field put Pewsey back in front. Pewsey finally secured all three points six minutes from time when Tom Holdstock added a third to end any hope of a Purton comeback.

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24 September 2022
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