With leaders Kintbury Rangers without a game in this week’s round of midweek fixtures there was a chance for the chasing pack to close the gap at the top of the table and all of the three teams immediately below the leaders took advantage of that opportunity.

Blunsdon were one of three unbeaten teams in the division at the start of Tuesday night, and they maintained that unbeaten start to the season on a warm Tuesday evening at the Weir Field against Wroughton. In an even first half, despite both sides creating chances, the two teams turned round at the break with the game still waiting its first goal. Wroughton started the second half at a pace and put the visitors under a lot of pressure and at times Blunsdon rode their luck to keep the scores level. However, despite that early Wroughton pressure, it was to be the visitors who made the breakthrough against the run of play. A shot from Rob Curtis was saved by the Wroughton keeper but the ball fell to the Division’s leading scorer Danny Hale who still had plenty to do but he composed himself to slot the ball past Wroughton keeper Darryl Simms for 1-0 to Blunsdon and his ninth of the campaign. Wroughton looked to respond immediately and put the Blunsdon goal under sustained pressure creating several good chances that were not taken. The equaliser did eventually come though, and it came from a dead ball situation.  Following a flurry of corner kicks, Blunsdon failed to clear their lines from one such corner and Max Scholefield put the ball away following a scramble in the box to make it 1-1. The final 20 minutes saw the game open up with the warm weather seeing both sides tiring but searching for a winner. A winner was to come and it went the way of Blunsdon.  An attack down the left-hand side saw Lee Toomey find a burst of pace to get past the Wroughton defence and put in a cross that just missed Danny Hale’s head. As the ball rolled towards the far corner, Hale chased and kept the attack alive putting in a cross of his own from the right, where Nick Craft leaped above everyone to head the ball goalwards and just inside the far post, to make it 2-1 to Blunsdon. Wroughton pushed Blunsdon hard in the closing ten minutes to get back on level terms but were unable to create any clear-cut chances as Blunsdon held out to secure their fifth win of the season and three vital points. The win for Blunsdon saw them move to within a point of Kintbury Rangers at the top of the table.

After their defeat on Saturday in a close encounter with the league leaders Kintbury, Amesbury Town were looking to return to winning ways when they entertained near neighbours Shrewton United at Bonnymead Park. The two sides had met in pre-season just before the season started, drawing 1-1 and another close encounter was anticipated as is often the way in local derby games.  It didn’t start too well for the home side as they fell behind with just four minutes on the clock, a Lewis Cross effort deflecting off an Amesbury defender on its way into the net for Cross’s fifth of the season. Amesbury had a golden chance to get back on level terms on 27 minutes when they were awarded a penalty, but the spot kick was well saved by Sam Gates in the Shrewton goal. Five minutes later there was to be a pivotal moment in the game when goal scorer Cross was dismissed leaving Shrewton to play the remaining hour of the match with just ten men in the hot and humid conditions. With the extra man advantage an equaliser for Amesbury eventually came five minutes before the interval, a through ball from Danny Field finding Josh Moore who rounded Shrewton keeper Gates to slot home for 1-1. Amesbury got themselves in front for the first time in the game within four minutes of the restart, Ellis Cleary-Tucker firing in to make it 2-1 to the home side. Amesbury effectively made sure of the points just after the hour mark, Charlie Jackson who had made his debut for Amesbury on Saturday as a substitute against Kintbury following his recent transfer from Shrewton, coming off the bench again to score against his former team mates to make it 3-1 to Amesbury. That was to be the end of the scoring in what had been a close local derby encounter with that sending off having a big say in the outcome of the match. The win for Amesbury sees them sit in third place in the table, two points behind Blunsdon and three points behind Kintbury with all three sides having played seven games. With Kintbury in County Cup action this coming weekend there could well be new leaders of the division come Saturday night. Amesbury travel to Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development whilst Blunsdon are at Shrewton United.

Pewsey Vale have started the season well with just one defeat in their opening five games ahead of the visit of Ludgershall Sports. That defeat had come at the hands of the league leaders Kintbury Rangers on Bank Holiday Monday, a game that had also seen leading scorer James Guthrie sent off forcing him to miss the Ludgershall game through suspension. Despite the absence of their most influential player, two goals from Samuel Francis and a fourth clean sheet of the season ensured Pewsey took all three points following a 2-0 win to remain just three points behind the league leaders with a game in hand over the three teams above them in the table.

Moving up into fifth spot in the table are Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development who were home to one of the three unbeaten sides at the start of the night, Kingsdown.  That unbeaten record is no more as a solitary strike from Royal Wootton Bassett Town’s Nathaniel Bell in the first half was enough to give his side an impressive 1-0 home win over the previously unbeaten opponents. Kingsdown pushed for an equaliser but a combination of chances not being taken and some disciplined and organised defending they were unable to find that elsuive equaliser. Next up for Royal Wootton Bassett Town is that visit from Amesbury Town, whilst Kingsdown travel to Pewsey Vale.

Trowbridge Town have not made the same start as last season but are starting to build momentum. On Tuesday night they travelled into Bath to take on Odd Down (Bath) Development and returned with all three points following a 5-3 come from behind success. Trowbridge found themselves trailing 2-0 in the first half, but a penalty converted by Leigh Rogers got them back in the game and a second from James Rustell saw the teams go into the break all square at 2-2. Odd Down restored their lead early in the second half but then came under sustained pressure from the visitors. A powerful shot from Connor McKay brought Trowbridge level for the third time before a second of the game from Rustell and one from Jack Miluk made sure of the three points for Trowbridge. On target for Odd Down were Kyle Norris, Tyrone Mulholland and an own goal. The win for Trowbridge saw them move up into seventh spot in the table.

Another side who have picked up after losing their opening three games are Melksham Town Reserves who made it three straight wins and five unbeaten with an impressive 5-0 away win at Salisbury Development. It was a good evening for Harvey Woods who scored four of the Melksham goals, Thomas Dowell with the other one. The win for Melksham saw them climb into the top half of the table for the first time this season.

The final game in midweek was on Wednesday night where another of the unbeaten sides at the start of the night, Larkhall Athletic Development entertained Calne Town Reserves. That unbeaten record was maintained by the home side, but they had to settle for just a point against the young Calne Town side following a 2-2 draw. James Book and Wayne Nderemani with the Larkhall goals, William Boakes and Thomas Gates with two first half goals for visitors Calne Town Reserves. So, after the night’s action Larkhall Athletic Development and Blunsdon are now the only two unbeaten sides in the division.

Off the pitch the headline news this week has been the withdrawal of Frome Collegians from the League citing the loss of a substantial number of players and financial concerns regarding operating at Senior League level. In a letter to the League on Monday morning Chairman Richard Hounsell noted that after a very successful Season in 2022-23 they had lost 16 senior players in the close season due to a combination of retirements, injuries and a couple moving up to a higher level of football. They had only been able to play their opening five league games by using players on loan from Bradford Town and a few from their reserve team. However, their reserve players have all declared that they no longer wish to be considered for first team football as they find the standard and travelling too demanding. In addition to the loss of players the club had sustained a heavy financial loss last season and were projecting an even bigger one this season and cash flow issues in the New Year. They have now withdrawn from the League with immediate effect.

Chairman Hounsell concluded in his letter to the League,

“We have been in the League for four years and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and played on some lovely pitches. There have been many great days, and the support we have received from the League Committee has been greatly appreciated which makes it all the more difficult to give you this terrible news. We still have a team in the Trowbridge and District League, and we plan to consolidate our managerial and playing resources into that team, which should ensure the Club survives”.

First Team Manager Karl Freeman will stay on at least in the short term in order to help with the immediate stabalisation of the club. Frome Collegians have been an excellent club to have in the League and all involved are saddened by their departure and wish them every success in re-grouping at the lower level and hope that at some time in the future they will be strong enough to gain promotion back into the League via the Feeder League arrangements with the District Leagues and Hellenic League.

Frome Collegians’ record will be expunged from the league table in due course but the matter needs to be discussed at the Management Committee next week before that happens.

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8 September 2023