Premier Division leaders KIntbury Rangers

Premier Division

Six of the eight scheduled fixtures in the Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League went ahead this weekend with Larkhall Athletic Development's fixture backlog growing when for the second time in the week their game had to be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, this time the pitch concerned was at Ludgershall. The other postponed game was the local derby between Kingsdown and Blunsdon with Blunsdon unable to a raise a side.

The remaining six games saw the top four sides in action and it was to be a good weekend for all four sides. League leaders Kintbury Rangers had moved above Amesbury into top spot in midweek and they maintained their excellent form this season with a comfortable 8-0 win over Salisbury Development. Leading 2-0 at the break thanks to a Jack Allan penalty and a header from Ross Lawrence they added six unanswered goals after the break to complete a comprehensive win over the young Salisbury side. Lawrence scored his second of the game but the star of the second half was Toby Thorp who smashed a hat-trick in the space of just eight minutes. Further goals from Kye Williams and Josh Luckett completed the scoring for the league leaders who did their goal difference a power of good as the division’s top scorers took their tally to 64 in just 14 games.

Second place Amesbury Town kept the pressure on the leaders with a home win of their own, 4-2 the final score in their encounter with Malmesbury Victoria Development who gave the title chasers a run for their money and could have added to the two goals they did score through Joe Ward and Luke Corbiere. Ally McCracken had given Amesbury the lead on seven minutes heading home from a Ben Morris cross, but Malmesbury got themselves back on level terms with a shot from distance that sailed into the top corner to restore parity.  However, it would be Amesbury that would go into the half time interval with an advantage, McCracken restoring Amesbury’s lead seven minutes before half time firing in after another Ben Morris assist. Amesbury then extended that lead within three minutes of the start of the second half, Harry Hale firing in after his initial header from a Rhys Sullivan cross was parried back to him by the Malmesbury keeper to make it 3-1 to Amesbury. That two goal advantage would not last long though as five minutes later Malmesbury gave themselves the chance of getting something out of the game with another great strike from distance to make it 3-2. There was to be no comeback from Malmesbury though as a second of the game for Hale and a fourth for Amesbury made sure of the points for the title chasers who remain within a point of leaders Kintbury at the top of the table.

Whilst both Kintbury Rangers (64 goals) and Amesbury Town (48 goals) have been scoring for fun this season, Pewsey Vale who sit in third spot started the day on just 24 goals from their opening 11 games. Pewsey’s success this season has been built on a mean defence that has conceded just seven goals in the league all season, an impressive record for Craig Kent’s side who had kept eight clean sheets going into today’s encounter with Wroughton. That clean sheet record now extends to nine games as Pewsey once again completely shut out their opponents whilst scoring two goals of their own, leading scorer James Guthrie netting from the penalty spot and Ben England adding a second in a 2-0 win that kept them in touch with Kintbury and Amesbury at the top of the table.

The last two champions of the Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League met at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground this weekend with last season’s champions Trowbridge Town up against the Season 2021-22 champions Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. The last time Trowbridge had played on the 3G at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground they had defeated Royal Wootton Bassett Town first team in a pre-season friendly but there was to be no repeat victory on their latest visit. It started well for Trowbridge though, Jack Miluk, who had scored a hat-trick last week, giving them an early lead following good work from Adam Mitchell. It remained 1-0 at the break. Whatever Royal Wootton Bassett Town Dev manager Mark Simpkins said to his players at half time it certainly fired them up and the home side came out for the second half and completely turned the game around scoring three times through brothers Max and Ben Spackman and Afonso Ferreira to lead 3-1. Whilst George Bendle pulled one back five minutes from the end for the visitors there was to be no equaliser for Trowbridge as they fell to their fourth defeat of the season as they lost further ground on the leading sides.  They have already lost twice as many games as they did the whole of last season and any promotion ambitions for this season are starting to look somewhat shaky with the likes of Kintbury Rangers, Amesbury Town and Larkhall Athletic Development, who are all looking to get that promotion place come the end of the season, going so well. Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development remain in fourth spot but the win saw them open up a four point gap over Melksham Town Reserves.

Odd Down (Bath) Development have been having a tough time of it so far this season but, after a couple of heavy defeats, they have been more competitive in recent games. Today they were away at Shrivenham and they were involved in a close encounter but fell just short in the end. They led 1-0 at half time through a Ben Millett goal and whilst Millet added a second after the break, goals from Matt Horsell, Finlay Hopkins and Jack Hill ensured that the three points went Shrivenham’s way courtesy of a 3-2 victory that saw them move to within a point of both Wroughton and Kingsdown.

After going four games without a win, including a heavy 6-1 home defeat in midweek to Salisbury Development, Calne Town Reserves finally returned to winning ways thanks to a hard fought 3-2 home success over Shrewton United, with two goals from Matthew Robinson and a late winner from Ryan Flynn. Lewis Cross had put visitors Shrewton ahead with his 12th goal of the season before Robinson had levelled matters up at 1-1. Robinson then put Calne in front for the first time in the game only for George Plank to bring Shrewton back level with a well taken free kick goal. Calne had been on top for much of the game and were rewarded with a late winner from Flynn, his shot from distance securing all three points for his side. For Shrewton, after going unbeaten in the league for five games, this was their second defeat of the week and they missed out on breaking into the top five positions in the table as a result. They will look to return to winning ways next week when they entertain Shrivenham.

Division One

In Division One the top two were both in action this afternoon and with third place Bratton without a game were looking to open up a bigger lead at the top of the table. League leaders Park United were at home to struggling Stratton Juniors who have been having a tough time of late, whilst Park United came into the game on the back of six straight wins. That run now extends to seven games following a 2-0 win, both goals being scored by recent signing Chay Forrester. It could have been a bigger margin but Park were not as ruthless in front of goal as they have been on occasions this season.

Faringdon Town were playing their first league game since their one and only defeat so far this season, that defeat coming at the end of September against the current leaders Park. After progressing in two cup competitions in the past fortnight their return to league action saw them travel to Devizes to take on Bishops Cannings on the 3G at Green Lane. They were not at their best and found themselves trailing 2-1 at the break, Charlie Swan putting Bishops Cannings ahead with an audacious shot from 45 yards which sailed over Faringdon keeper Jack Gibson fifteen minutes in. Faringdon got themselves back on level terms on the half hour mark, Peter Fletcher scoring from a free-kick to make it 1-1. Bishops Cannings went back in front three minutes before the break, a long ball over the top resulted in a defensive mix-up between keeper Gibson and Raymond Lovell, presenting Leo Griggs with an open goal which he took full advantage of to send his side into the interval leading 2-1. Two goals at the beginning of the second half completely turned things around though. On 52 minutes Jamie Arlott and Josh Forth linked up well and a cross to the far post was met by Peter Fletcher whose cushioned pass set up Jamie Broadfield to volley in to level matters up at 2-2. Within a minute Faringdon were in front for the first time in the game, when an attempted clearance by a Bishops Cannings defender ended up in his own net to make it 3-2 to Faringdon. That was to be the end of the afternoon’s scoring. Whilst not at their best Faringdon had done enough to secure the win and remain just a point behind Park United at the top of the table.

Purton made it four wins on the bounce with a comprehensive victory away at Wroughton Development to move above Bratton and into the top three, smashing 13 unanswered goals against the bottom of the table side. There were two more goals for player-manager Matt Bennett who took his total for the season to 19 and leadership of the Division goal scoring chart. However, he saw both centre back Josh Connolly and Ethan Miller outshine him in the goalscoring stakes this weekend with Connolly scoring a rare hat-trick on his Purton debut and Miller also netting a hat-trick. Connolly had been part of the same Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development side as Bennett that had won the Premier Division title two seasons ago and has linked up with his former teammate who is now in charge at Purton. The other Purton goals were scored by Joey Herbert, who bagged a brace, George Drewitt, Phil Tearle and Lee Hayward. The 13-0-win saw Purton take over the position of leading scorers in the division, reaching a half century of goals in just 11 games. Having been on the wrong end of some similar big scores over the past two seasons the Purton supporters will no doubt have sympathy for the young Wroughton side who will look to emulate how Purton have turned things round this season.  Purton moved above Bratton into third place as a result of their win.

Marlborough Town lost ground on the leading pack when they were surprisingly beaten at home by near neighbours Pewsey Vale Development. Form can go out of the window in these local derby games and after four straight defeats Pewsey returned to winning ways thanks to goals from Israel Onibudo (2), Kierron Kiff and Sam Ashman, 4-2 the final score. For Marlborough Town leading scorer Jake Farrell was once again amongst the goals with the other Marlborough goal coming courtesy of an own goal.

The final game in the division this week saw Cricklade Town make the short journey down the A419 into Swindon to play Kingsdown on the 3G at Kingsdown School. It was to prove a profitable trip as Cricklade returned home with all three points following a 4-1 win. Gergo Komjati bagged a couple with the other two goals coming through David Murray and Ryan Major, Harrison Jordan with his eighth of the season replying for Kingsdown. The win for Cricklade saw them remain in seventh place but move to within a point of Marlborough Town.

28 October 2023