Action from the midweek Division One game between Malmesbury Vics Dev & Fairford Town Res 

(picture courtesy of George Wadsworth)

Premier Division

Swindon Supermarine Development march on at the top of the Premier Division table their latest success a 1-0 victory on Tuesday night away at Letcombe who sat second in the table ahead of the game. The only goal of the game came after 26 minutes, Tom Phillips netting following a quickly taken free kick. Letcombe had a golden chance to level up from the penalty spot 17 minutes from time, but goalkeeper Matt Goldfinch pulled off a save to deny the home side and secure his sides second clean sheet of the season. Supermarine have maximum points from their four games, but all have been close affairs decided by a single goal margin.  

The same night Larkhall Athletic lost their own unbeaten record when they fell to a 3-2 defeat away at Devizes Town Reserves, giving Devizes their first win of the season. On target for Devizes were last season’s leading scorer Jordan Anning, Jacob Reader and Eoin O’Grady, Ben Wickens and James Horrocks with the Larkhall goals.

Another side picking up their first win of the new season were Calne Town Reserves who edged a nine-goal thriller with Down Ampney by the odd goal. Darcey Garner bagged a brace for Calne and there were further goals from Charlie Waldron, Fin Simpson and Ryan Flynn. The four Down Ampney goals were shared around with one apiece for Jonh Beer, Paddy Cripps, Harry Sealey and Connor Hibbs.

The other two games on Tuesday night both ended in draws. The game at Pewsey Vale where Shrewton United were the visitors saw the two defences on top with neither side able to find the back of the net and the two sides having to settle for a point apiece.

The other draw was at Corsham Town’s Southbank Ground where Faringdon Town were Park United’s visitors. A first half goal from former Stratton striker Corey Cullen put Faringdon ahead with just three minutes on the clock but Ben Pring equalised for Park just before half time. Despite having Obinna Nwoke sent off in the second half for a second yellow card Faringdon were able to prevent the home side from adding to that goal to maintain their unbeaten start to the season under new manager Josh Forth. Subscribers to Your Sport Swindon can read Park United manager Darrin Moss’s views on his sides start to the new season exclusively on the Your Sport Swindon website which can be accessed from the link below.

There were three games played on Wednesday night in the Premier Division, and the three games saw a third team in the space of two days pick up their first points of the season. The game in question was the match between Wroughton and Purton Kingsdown and meant an unhappy return for Adrian Wilkinson to the ground where he had won the Premier Division title as manager of Wroughton in Season 2018-19. Shane Hibbert had been a key part of that Wroughton title winning side, finishing the season as the club’s top scorer, and the veteran is back at the Weir Field for another season and scored one of the two Wroughton goals. It was another player in the twilight of his career who scored the other Wroughton goal in a 2-0 win, Levi Cox who had helped Cricklade Town to the Division One title last season, with the other Wroughton goal.

The other two games on Wednesday night saw victories for two of the sides who have made good starts to the new season, Melksham Town Reserves and Cricklade Town. Melksham Town Reserves entertained Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves at the Oakfield Stadium and not for the first time had to come from behind to secure the three points. Harry Guy had given visitors Bemerton the lead on 20 minutes, but Melksham turned things around by the break to lead 2-1 at half time. Bemerton pushed for an equaliser in the second half but a third for Melksham made sure there was to be no comeback as they recorded their third win in four games to move second in the table. On target for Melksham were Liam Brooks with two and Luke Curtis.

Cricklade Town  moved up to fifth place in the table, two points behind Melksham, thanks to a 3-1 away win at Shrivenham. Lewis Bexon-Shaw, Cricklade’s capture from Lambourn Sports in the summer, was once again amongst the goals, bagging his sixth goal in four games, with Nick Craft getting the other two Cricklade goals to double his total for the season, with the two Cricklade players the early leaders in the goal scoring charts. In reply Zac Skinner scored for Shrivenham.

Wiltshire Senior Cup

The Wiltshire FA have made the draw for the first two rounds of the Wiltshire Senior Cup. The First Round has just the one game seeing Calne Town Reserves drawn away to Western League side Warminster Town. That game and seven of the Second Round games are set to take place at the beginning of October with the winner of the Warminster Town v Calne Town Reserves game then set to play Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves later in the month.

In the Second Round there are four all Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League ties with Melksham Town Reserves meeting Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, Park United home to early league leaders Swindon Supermarine Dev, Shrewton United entertain Pewsey Vale and Trowbridge Town are home to Wroughton. Cricklade Town will visit Western League side Calne Town, whilst Purton Kingsdown are away to Hellenic League side Malmesury Victoria. The full draw is as shown below:

First Round

Warminster Town v Calne Town Res

Second Round

Bemerton H. H. Res v Warminster T or Calne T Res 

Calne Town v Cricklade Town   

Devizes Town v Amesbury Town   

Malmesbury Victoria v Purton Kingsdown   

Melksham Town Res v RWBT Dev   

Park United v Swindon Supermarine Dev   

Shrewton United v Pewsey Vale   

Trowbridge Town v Wroughton 

Charles Twelftree Trophy (Berks & Bucks)

In the First Round of the Charles Twelftree Trophy, Faringdon Town, Letcombe and Shrivenham have all received a bye and will enter the competition in the Second Round which is set to take place on Saturday 11th October.

Gloucestershire FA Senior Amateur Cup

Down Ampney have also received a bye in the First Round of their County Cup Competition and will be away to Stonehouse Reserves in the Second Round with the game scheduled to take place on Saturday 18th October.

Somerset County Cup

With have had no information as yet regarding Larkhall Athletic Development's County Cup competition for this season.

Division One

In Division One there were plenty of goals at Green Lane on Tuesday night where league leaders Redhouse and Bishops Cannings were involved in a ten-goal encounter. Having lost their opening two games, Bishops Cannings were keen to end the run of defeats and get their season up and running. However, they found themselves trailing 4-3 at the break thanks to a hat-trick from Redhouse's prolific striker Cameron Shrubb plus one from Taylor Edwards. Three unanswered goals in the second half turned things around though, as Bishops Cannings secured that first win courtesy of a 6-4 score line. Last season’s top scorer Szyman Raczek had missed their first two games but immediately found his scoring boots on his return to the side, scoring two of the Bishops Cannings goals, Ethan Howard also bagged a brace with the other two Bishops Cannings goals being scored by Oliver Barnes and Harry Drewitt.

On a night of first wins of the season, another side picking up their first three point haul were Shrivenham Development as goals from Matty Slevin on his 100^th appearance for the club and a second from Kai Richardson secured the three points against Lambourn Sports who fell to their third straight defeat of the season.

The new leaders of the division are Bradford Town Reserves who secured a comfortable 9-0 away win against struggling Westbury United Reserves on Wednesday night to make it three wins in three. Bradford Town led 3-0 at half time thanks to goals from Josh Hampton, Joe Rendle and Kieran Balchin.  A serious knee injury suffered by Westbury player Mark Young, ten minutes after coming on at half time, saw a 20-minute delay whilst the player was treated before being taken to hospital. Bradford Town Reserves scored six more goals in the second half, Hampton and Balchin both getting their second goals of the game, with further strikes from Corey Pugh, Harry Ledbury and two from substitute Lewis Balkwill. All at the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League wish injured player Mark Young a speedy recovery from the injury he suffered in Wednesday night’s game.

There were also plenty of goals at the Flying Monk Ground where Malmesbury Victoria Development  entertained Fairford Town Reserves. Fairford came into the game on the back of consecutive victories in their opening two games, whilst Malmesbury had bounced back from an opening day defeat to win their previous game against Bishops Canning. An early goal from Charlie Evatt put Malmesbury ahead before Joe Tranter doubled their lead with just 18 minutes gone. It remained that way at the break. When Rob Collier scored from the penalty spot a minute into the second half it looked like it was game over, but Fairford Town Reserves had other thoughts and responded with two goals of their own to make it 3-2 with just over an hour gone. A second from Charlie Evatt within three minutes of the second Fairford goal restored Malmesbury’s two goal advantage and when Ciaran Lyon added a fifth for Malmesbury eight minutes from time the three points were secure for the home side. That said, there was still time for a late consolation goal for Fairford two minutes from time as it finished 5-3. On target for Fairford were Alec Gawthropp, with his fourth goal of the season, plus further goals from Tom Starr and Liam Wood. Both sides ended the game with ten men, Malmesbury captain Ciaran Lyon and Fairford’s Josh Rowe both picking up a second yellow card. Subscribers to Your Sport Swindon can read Fairford Town Reserves manager Ryan Souter's views on this game and his side adapting to the new league exclusively on the Your Sport Swindon website which can be accessed from the link below.

Faringdon Town Development picked up their first point of the season after holding Purton Kingsdown Reserves to a 1-1 draw. Former Calne Town Reserves player Brett Fairclough with the Faringdon goal, a third of the season from Bongumenzi Ceko in reply for Purton Kingsdown.

Great Western, like Bradford Town Reserves, have a 100% winning record ahead of this coming Saturday’s encounter between the two sides, this after Great Western edged a close encounter with Kintbury Rangers Reserves by the odd goal on Wednesday night. Two early goals from Kintbury’s Luke Connor and Charlie Allsop looked to have put home side Kintbury in control of the game but the visitors hit back with two of their own to go into the break all square at 2-2 and with all to play for. Despite having Joshua Ukoha sent off the ten men of Great Western scored a third to maintain their winning start to the season as it finished 3-2 to the visitors. On target for Great Western were Ethan Miller, Arnold Sibanda and player-manger Ben Langley. The win for Great Western sees them sit fifth in the table but with a game in hand over the four teams above them in the table.