Frustratingly just three of the scheduled five fixtures in the Under 18 Floodlight Division went ahead this week with the late call offs leaving two sides who could actually have played each other both without a game. The game between Warminster Town and Radstock Town was postponed due to continuing issues with the pitch at Warminster and Bradford Town were unable to raise a side for their fixture against the league leaders Royal Wootton Bassett Town.

The three games that did go ahead saw Kingsdown Lions make the headlines with their best performance of the season which saw them secure all three points courtesy of a 4-1 home win against a Bishops Cannings who had started the week in third spot. Despite Bishops Cannings having plenty of possession early on they found Kingsdown Lions in clinical form in front of goal particularly from set plays. Two goals from free kicks saw the home side take a 2-0 lead into the half time break. Bishops Cannings pulled one back after the restart through Szyman Raczek. The next goal was going to be vitally important in the outcome of the game and it went the way of the home side, Nicholas Wilkes firing in a stunning strike to make it 3-1 to Kingsdown. The home side then added a fourth to make sure of the three points for the Lions. In addition to his wonder goal, Wilkes also scored another to take his total for the season into double figures, the other two goals coming through Jack Byrne and Josh Atwell.

The action in the division had got underway on Monday night when the two Berkshire based sides met at Kintbury Recreation Ground with AFC Aldermaston Kintbury Rangers’ visitors. When the two sides met at Aldermaston earlier in the season Kintbury had run out 7-0 winners and, whilst they secured another win in the return fixture to keep their title challenge on track, it was a lot closer this time around. Goals from Ben Luckett, Ashley Howes and Tane Newton-Cook saw Kintbury secure a 3-0 win that saw them close the gap to the leaders Royal Wootton Bassett Town to four points with a game in hand.

The one game that actually  took place on Thursday night was the match between Melksham Town and Calne Town. Calne had won the first meeting between the two sides but fell behind to a Tom Dowell goal for Melksham. Joseph Badman brought Calne back into the game on 24 minutes and they then went in front for the first time in the match ten minutes before half time with a goal from Thomas Gates. It remained the one goal margin for virtually the whole of the second half but a last-minute goal from  leading scorer Asher Jones made certain of the three points for Calne. For Jones that is now 10 goals so far this campaign. The win for Calne was enough to see them move back above Bishops Cannings into third spot. For Melksham that is now six straight defeats but with a young squad, many of whom will be available still next season, Melksham continue to be competitive and no doubt an end to the tough run of results will not be too far away. 

Next week the action switches away from the league title race to the League Cup with the much postponed Warminster Town v Royal Wootton Bassett Town tie set to place at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground having been switched to the away drawn club under the cup rules following the second postponement due to pitch conditions. In addition, two of the re-scheduled ties in the Second Round are set to place on Monday night, AFC Aldermaston entertaining Radstock Town and Kintbury Rangers hosting Bradford Town.

League Table

Leading Scorers

Results Grid

Results and Next Week's Fixtures

10 February 2023