Thursday night saw the fourth staging of a Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Veterans League Cup Final with the final being held at Calne Town’s ground for the first time.  The final saw a representative from both the Mid Wiltshire Veterans’ Division and the North Wiltshire Veterans’ Division contest the final for the third season running. Durrington, who still have the chance of winning their division having finished joint top with Melksham Town and set to play in a play-off for the title next Tuesday, were the Mid Wiltshire Division representatives. Durrington’s opponents were Nationwide who finished as runners-up in the North Wiltshire Division behind Cricklade Town. Nationwide went into the final as the holders of the cup having defeated Westbury United in last season’s final.

In a cup competition that has been blighted by a high number of awarded games it was fitting that two sides who have had to play in each and every round had made the final. In that First Round Durrington had narrowly defeated North Wiltshire Division opponents Swindon Rovers 2-1 whilst Nationwide needed penalties to see off fellow North Wiltshire Division side AFC Swindon after it had finished 0-0 at the end of normal time. Both sides were away from home in Round Two and were involved in two of three ties that actually got played, disappointingly five games having to be awarded due to teams being unable to field a side. Nationwide had a much more comfortable passage to the last eight, than the previous round, winning 12-0 at Amesbury Junior Badgers whilst Durrington won 2-0 away at Trowbridge Town Tigers. Thankfully beyond Round Two all games in the cup have been played.

In the Quarter Final both sides were made to work hard for their victory to take them through to the last four. Durrington were 2-1 winners at home against fellow Mid Wiltshire Division side Devizes Town who were the other side involved in the battle for honours in the Mid Wiltshire Division along with Melksham Town. Nationwide, for the second time in the competition, needed penalties to secure their place in the next round after their game with fellow North Wiltshire Division side Penhill United had finished 1-1. For the second time in the cup Nationwide held their nerve to progress to the next round.

The Semi Final saw two representatives from each division and with the sides from the same division drawing each other there was guaranteed to be one representative from each division in the final. Both semi finals proved to be tight affairs, Nationwide overcoming Chiseldon 2-1 whilst, in this round, it was Durrington who needed penalties to progress after they came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with their main rivals for the title Melksham Town to set up the final with Nationwide.

Both sides went into Thursday’s final missing key players due to suspension and injury. Nationwide were without their leading scorer, former Forest Green Rovers and Mansfield Town player, Paul Stonehouse following his sending off the previous week against Cricklade Town. Meanwhile Durrington were missing leading scorer Shaune Smith, also due to suspension having been sent off in their league game against Melksham Town, and their second top scorer Jesse Walters due to a broken leg suffered in that  0-0 draw with Melksham Town in what was a costly game for Durrington. Despite both sides missing their leading marksmen the two sides produced an entertaining game that saw four goals scored in the 50 minutes. It was a Vets' game of a high standard with both sides competing hard for every challenge but with the game played in the right spirit in what was described post-match on social media by Durrington keeper Kevin Tobin as a “proper football match”.

The first five minutes of the game saw the two teams weighing each other up with Nationwide looking to play through the middle, whilst Durrington were also playing the ball through midfield but also looking to use the pace of Craig Lewis up front when the opportunity arose. The first real chance of the game went the way of Durrington, skipper Toby Watson seeing his low shot from distance deflected for a corner on seven minutes. The resulting corner came to nothing, but the deadlock was about to be broken. Two minutes later, a ball over the top put Lewis in the clear but still with some distance to cover. He took the ball on without the defenders being able to get back and catch him and he finished in style past the on rushing Nationwide keeper Andy Phoenix, firing into the bottom far corner of the net for 1-0 to Durrington.  Durrington were now very much in the ascendancy, and they doubled their lead ten minutes before the break with Lewis going from scorer to provider, his cross from the right being met with a well-placed header by Watson which gave Phoenix no chance for 2-0 to Durrington. Durrington continued to create the better chances, but it looked like it would be just the two goals going into the break with Nationwide still in the game. However, deep into injury time at the end of the half they gave the ball away cheaply just outside their own box and Watson punished them firing in for his second of the game to give Durrington a three-goal advantage at half time.

Credit to Nationwide who came out for the second half determined to try and get themselves back in the game and for the first time in the match they started to put the Durrington defence under some sustained pressure. However, the organised Durrington defence did well to limit the goal scoring opportunities for the Swindon based side. Nationwide were to get a lifeline eight minutes from time though when a shot from the edge of the box following a corner was adjudged to hit the hand of a Durrington defender and Nationwide were awarded a penalty. Captain Pete Monks took responsibility for the spot kick and fired home giving Tobin in the Durrington goal no chance. Nationwide then continued to push for a second, but Durrington never really looked in danger of conceding another and safely saw out the closing minutes to register a 3-1 win and lift the Veterans’ League Cup for the first time. The cup and individual player trophies were presented by League Chairman Brian Busson aided by League Secretary Jim Thorn, with Durrington captain and man-of the-match Toby Watson following his two goals the last to come up and be presented with the cup. Nationwide will now look to do a league and cup double when they play Melksham Town in the Play-off for the Mid Wiltshire Division this coming Tuesday night at Green Lane.

More photos from the cup final can be found on the League Facebook Group Page.

Click on picture below to view PDF of the Cup Final Programme

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