Action from Melksham Town Res opening day come from behind win at RWBT Dev

Premier Division

The 50^th season in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League got underway on Saturday with a full schedule of nine games in the Premier Division. Last season Letcombe had secured runners up spot behind champions Kintbury Rangers, and they sent a strong message of intent to the rest of the division with an opening day 4-0 away win over Devizes Town Reserves, in their first ever visit to Nursteed Road. Jordan Davies put Letcombe ahead from the penalty spot before Kieran Kerby doubled their lead. Substitute Oscar Griffiths made sure of the points when he headed home from a corner with his first touch since coming on. James Webster rounded off a good afternoon for lasts season’s runners-up when he headed home from another corner to make the final score 4-0 to Letcombe. 

Shrivenham have got off to a bad start in both their previous two seasons in the Premier Division and manager Glenn Horsell was hoping that his side would break that habit when they visited Shrewton United for their first game of the new campaign. It must have felt a bit like the film Groundhog Day as his side once again got off to a bad start, being on the wrong end of a 5-0 result. Shrewton went in front after Kian Tydeman dispossessed a defender and fired into an empty net to put his side ahead. It remained just the one at half time, but Shrewton dominated the second half. Two early goals after the break from Charlie Utterson put Shrewton 3-0 ahead and Tydeman then got his second of the game on the hour mark to put Shrewton in a commanding position. Shrewton rounded off a good afternoon for the club when Morgan Aldridge pounced when the Shrivenham keeper failed to deal with a corner and fired home four minutes from time with Shrewton’s fifth goal of the afternoon.

Another side scoring five times were Justin Flower’s Melksham Town Reserves  side. Few would have seen that coming at half time in their game against Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development. Goals from captain Mani Mesas and Matt Capel had put the home side in what looked a commanding position, and it could have been more. However, the visitors were given a lift just before the break when they were awarded a free kick, needlessly conceded, just outside the box. Fraser Blake took the responsibility for the kick, and his well struck effort came back off the bar with Nick Taylor being the first to react to head the rebound into an empty net to put his side back in the game going into the break.  Melksham came out for the second half in a determined mood and looked a different side, taking the game to their opponents with a combination of a direct approach, including the longest throw-ins you will probably ever see in a Wiltshire League game, and some neat approach play. The home side were struggling to deal with the skilful winger Liam Brooks all afternoon and he was justly awarded with Melksham's man of the match. Second half goals from Ollie Farrell (2) and substitutes Luke Curtis and Baillie Nichols completely turned things around as Melksham opened up a 5-2 lead. The only blemish on the afternoon for them was seeing Aron Byfield sent off late on for what was adjudged to be a last man foul on Brandon Johnson. By this stage there was too little time left for the home side to take advantage as it finished 5-2.

Faringdon Town had gone the whole of Season 2024-25 without registering an away win in the Premier Division, but that unwelcome record has finally gone after they won their opening game of the 2025-26 Season away at Calne Town Reserves. First half goals from Daniel Loyden and Mitchell Coombes put Faringdon 2-0 up at the break and in the driving seat. When Loyden headed home for his second of the game from a Kyle Bowyer cross just after the hour mark Faringdon knew they were close to getting that first win. Calne managed to pull one back nine minutes from time but any chance of a comeback were finally dashed a minute from time when Adam Sly added a fourth for Faringdon to make the score 4-1 and that away win was finally secured.

After a fantastic run at the end of last season a number of people are tipping Larkhall Athletic Development to have a much better season in 2025-26. They were trailing 1-0 at half time to a free kick goal from Wroughton's  Aaron Maximen but turned things around after the break scoring three unanswered goals. Larkhall got themselves back on level terms just before the hour mark, the goal coming by way of an own goal from a Wroughton player. Wroughton goalscorer Aaron Maximen was then sent off and Larkhall took full advantage of the extra man, going in front for the first time in the game shortly after courtesy of a James Horrocks goal. Larkhall then made sure of the three points when the ball fell to Ben Riccio on the edge of the box and he hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net to make it 3-1. Larkhall saw out the remaining minutes to secure the opening day win.

The five previous meetings between Purton Kingsdown and Trowbridge Town over the past two season had seen Trowbridge unbeaten, winning four including one game in the Fountain Trophies Cup and drawing the other. They went into the season in confident mood after an unbeaten pre-season that had seen them win six of their seven pre-season games. With Purton Kingsdown having finished last season in third spot they were keen to maintain their upward trajectory and the game had all the hallmarks of being a close encounter and it proved to be just that. The two sides turned around at the break with the game still without a goal. It continued to be a cagey affair after the break, but the decisive moment was to come 16 minutes from time. A Trowbridge attack was broken up and Purton Kingsdown hit the visitors on the break culminating in Tom Stockwell firing home to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Purton Kingsdown had a couple of chances late on to extend their lead but it was to be just the one for the afternoon but that was enough to finally end that run of games without a win against Trowbridge. Your Sport Swindon were again at the game and subscribers can view highlights by clicking on the your Sport Swindon logo below.

Newly promoted Cricklade Town have had to do a complete rebuild over the summer under the new management team of Ian Rosewell and Troy Prentice, this after last season’ manager decamped with most of last season’s team to Hellenic League side Malmesbury Victoria. Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves have also had a summer of change with Nick Edwards moving across from Salisbury Development when Salisbury made the decision not to run the side this season. It started well for Edwards in his sides opening fixture at his new club, goals from Harry Guy and Matt Gunstone-Grey giving his side a 2-0 lead and it remained that way at the break. Cricklade came back strong in the second half though to score three times to take the opening day points. Bemerton’s cause was not being helped by having Travis Budgell sent off 20 minutes from time with Cricklade taking full advantage to score those three goals. On target for Cricklade were brothers Evan Bexon-Shaw and Lewis Bexon-Shaw, summer captures from Lambourn Sports, with Francesco Michienzi a summer signing from Wroughton getting the other Cricklade goal.

It was an excellent opening day for another two of the newly promoted sides. Down Ampney entertained much fancied Park United and two goals from Paddy Cripps and one from Harvey Coster ensured it would to be Down Ampney’s afternoon as they ran out 3-1 winners, Ryan Withers with the Park United goal in reply.

The final game in the Premier Division was at Pewsey Vale where Swindon Supermarine Development were playing their first game at this level, and it would prove to a winning start for the side promoted from the Hellenic League Division 2 at the end of last season. The game remained without a goal at the break, but the deadlock was finally broken five minutes into the second half, Casey Spencer-Harding scoring with what proved to be the winning goal.

There are eight games scheduled in midweek. On Tuesday night Cricklade Town host near neighbours Purton Kingsdown, Letcombe entertain Shrivenham, whilst Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development make the short journey to the Weir Field to play Wroughton, as both teams look to bounce back from opening day defeats. There are two more games on Tuesday night with Calne Town Reserves home to Larkhall Athletic Development and Faringdon Town hosting Pewsey Vale. 

The three final midweek fixtures are on Wednesday night with Swindon Supermarine Dev and Down Ampney, who both won on Saturday, meeting at Supermarine. Melksham Town Reserves will look to record back-to-back wins to open the season when they entertain Devizes Town Reserves, whilst Park United play their first game at their new home at Corsham Town when Trowbridge Town are the visitors, with both teams looking to get their first points of the season.

Division One

Two of the new teams in the league got their season off to a winning start in Division One with Fairford Town Reserves having the honour of being the joint biggest winners of the day. A hat-trick from Alec Gawthropp plus further goals from Aston Garland, Reece Alexander and substitute Rhys Bevan doing the damage in Fairford’s 6-0 win over Lambourn Sports.

The other new club to get off to a winning start were Great Western but it was a lot closer in their game against Pewsey Vale Development, goals from Ethan Miller and Stephen Winslow securing all three points for the New College based side in a 2-1 win, Alex Golder with the Pewsey Vale goal.

Marlborough Town matched the Fairford winning score in their game against the other new side in the division, Westbury United Reserves, as they got their season off to a winning start. Marlborough will be aiming to return to the Premier Division, as they enter their third season in Division One, once again under new management for the third season running. Last season’s two leading scorers were once again amongst the goals, Harry Womersley scoring one and Jake Farrell bagging a brace in their 6-0 win, Tom Womersley, Dylan Sartin and Willem Pooley with the other Marlborough Town goals. Marlborough are back in action again in midweek when they make the short journey to Pewsey to take on Pewsey Vale Development.

Last season the two games between Kintbury Rangers Reserves  and Bradford Town Reserves  were both close encounters won by Kintbury by a single goal margin, Kintbury winning 4-3 away at Bradford Town in October before completing a league double with a 1-0 win at Rec at the end of April. Another close encounter was anticipated, and it proved to be just that, a solitary goal from Bradford Town’s Kieran Balchin separating the two sides as Bradford Town Reserves this time were the team to secure victory by the narrowest of margins and get off to a winning start to the 2025-26 campaign.

The other three games played in the division saw three Swindon based sides all score five times in securing opening day home wins. Purton Kingsdown Reserves got their season off to a winning start, defeating relegated Malmesbury Vics Development  5-1 on the 3G at Kingsdown School. There were two goals for both Eden Hewlett and Bongumenzi Ceko with Ben Payne getting the other goal. The consolation goal for Malmesbury was scored by Joe Liddington. Malmesbury with look to bounce back from this defeat when they entertain Bishops Cannings in midweek.

Cameron Shrubb, last season’s top scorer for Redhouse, carried on where he left off last season scoring all five goals in Redhouse’s 5-0 win over an out of sorts Shrivenham Development side on the 3G at Moredon, a bad day all round for the Shrivenham club with their first team also losing by the same score.

After a couple of difficult season’s Stratton will be pleased with their opening day performance and result as they hit five unanswered goals at home to Faringdon Town Development. The goals were shared around with Aaron Dale, Kieran Dunne, Taylor Malkin and Jayden Wilson all getting on the score sheet, the other goal coming courtesy of an own goal. Your Sport Swindon were again at the game and subscribers can view highlights by clicking on the your Sport Swindon logo below.

Stratton will look to make it two wins in a row in midweek when they make the short journey to take on Shrivenham Development who will be looking for their first points of the season after that opening day loss at Redhouse.

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