Action from Swindon Supermarine Dev's 3-1 win over Calne Town Res

(picture courtesy of Mike Wray)

Premier Division

Swindon Supermarine Development maintained their excellent start to their tenure in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League with a fifth straight win, the latest victory coming at home against Calne Town Reserves. Captain Regan Lach set them on their way with a goal on 13 minutes in what was his 100^th appearance for the club but it remained just the one goal in it at the break. Calne Town Reserves got themselves back on level terms within three minutes of the restart, Ousman Joof with the equaliser. It remained all square until just after the hour mark when Tom Phillips put Swindon Supermarine back in front with his fourth goal of the campaign. The same player then made sure of the three points for the league leaders scoring his second of the game, and fifth of the season, 12 minutes from time. The fifth straight win sees Swindon Supermarine sit three points clear at the top of the early league table.

Melksham Town Reserves occupy second spot after they recorded a fourth win of the season, a 2-0 home success over Shrivenham, both goals coming in the second half. Under 18 player Kieran Higdon was not scheduled to be in the starting line-up for Melksham, but an injury in the warm-up saw him called up into the starting eleven. A man-of-the match performance then followed from the youngster as he scored both Melksham Town goals that continued his sides excellent start to the season that sees them with four wins from their opening five games, their only defeat coming at the hands of league leaders Swindon Supermarine Dev. It is the reverse position for Shrivenham who fell to their fourth defeat in five games as once again they have got off to a bad start to a campaign.

Faringdon Town are up to third place in the table as they maintained their unbeaten start to the season. They fell behind to a penalty on 28 minutes in their game at home to Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves, Isaac Lane-Clemo putting the spot kick away for the visitors. The lead did not last long though as Obinna Nwoke had Faringdon back on level terms with three minutes of the Bemerton goal. It remained all square until ten minutes into the second half when Faringdon player-manager Josh Forth headed home with what proved to be the winner for his side.

Ahead of the weekend’s round of games, the match between Larkhall Athletic Development and Letcombe looked to be the top match of the eight games being played. A close encounter was anticipated, and it proved to be just that. Larkhall Athletic Development led 1-0 thanks to a Matt Bowman goal but Letcombe came back strongly in the second half and equalised through Oscar Griffiths to ensure a share of the points. Letcombe dropped a place in the table to fourth spot as a result of being held to the draw, whilst Larkhall Athletic Development remain in sixth spot. Larkhall are back in action on Wednesday night when they are scheduled to entertain Trowbridge Town, although the game is contingent on Larkhall’s first team not requiring a FA Cup replay.

Shrewton United climbed six places in the table up to fifth spot with an emphatic 6-1 away win over Cricklade Town. The game remained without a goal until after the half hour mark but once Shrewton got their noses in front there was no stopping them. The opener came when Scott Hassell flicked on a long throw in from Eddie Perrett which found Tom Plank at the far post who headed in for 1-0 to the visitors. Two minutes later Plank went from scorer to provider as he set up Hassell to head home on his debut for 2-0. It was three shortly after and once again Cricklade failed to deal with Perrett’s long throw, this time Charlie Utterson flicking on to find Kian Tydeman at the far post who headed home. Three goals in six minutes all from headers. A shell shocked Cricklade did manage to pull one back just before half time, leading scorer Lewis Bexon-Shaw capitalising on an error in the Shrewton defence to give his side hope going into the break. However, any chance of the home side getting something out of the game diminished eight minutes into the second half when Tydeman bagged his second of the game, the Shrewton striker following up after Charlie Utterson had forced Cricklade keeper Harrison Ellis into a save and firing the rebound home for 4-1. It remained that way until 20 minutes from time when Tydeman completed his hat-trick after good work from Sanjay Samuda to put the result beyond doubt. There was still time for one more goal with Samuda firing in after some fine build up play involving Adam Castle, Soloman Sale and Jake Hardy to make that final score 6-1 to Shrewton, an afternoon for Cricklade Town they will quickly want to forget as they dropped four places in the table as a result of the defeat.

Park United dropped three places in the table, with their home game against Wroughton having to be deferred until this coming Tuesday night as a result of the Hellenic League bringing forward a league game for landlords Corsham Town following Corsham’s exit from the FA Cup.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town Dev climbed four places in the table following a 4-1 come from behind away win over Down Ampney. The visitors went close to opening the scoring with their very first attack, Okafur Ugonna seeing his attempted chip just miss the target. It would be the home side though who would take the lead moments later, Charlie McCuish firing home against his former club after the Royal Wootton Bassett defence had conceded possession on the left-hand edge of their own box. A ball into the box was controlled with his first touch, and then finished off with a powerful shot with his second touch by McCuish for 1-0. McCuish went close to then doubling the Down Ampney lead shortly after when his header went just wide of the post. At the other end Matt Capel went close for the visitors his shot being well saved by Down Ampney keeper Jack Wallis. The visitors would not be denied for long though, Prince Nyongolo with a fine individual goal firing into the far corner of the net for 1-1. It would be the visitors who would go into the lead at the break. After what appeared to be a reckless challenge from the visitors in the middle of the park went unseen, a foul on the player concerned resulted in the award of a free kick to Royal Wootton Bassett. From the resulting free kick into the box, the ball reached Sam Case whose shot came back off the post falling nicely to Ugonna who had a simple tap in for 2-1. The visitors then extended their lead after the break from the penalty box after Case was brought down by Down Ampney keeper Wallis. Case took the resulting penalty himself firing past Wallis to make it 3-1. Down Ampney had several chances to get themselves back into the game but a combination of some resolute defending and wayward finishing they were unable to find the back of the net. At the other end Ugonna had a golden chance to extend Royal Wootton Bassett’s lead but missed when clean through on goal. He did however get a fourth for the visitors but in fortuitous fashion after an attempted clearance by a Down Ampney defender after Wallis was dispossessed in his area came back off Ugonna and rebounded into the net for 4-1. Down Ampney are back in action in midweek when they visit struggling Shrivenham. Your Sport Swindon were at the game on Saturday, and subscribers can view the highlights by clicking on the Your Sport Swindon logo below:

Pewsey Vale are fast becoming the division’s draw specialists after they registered their third drawn match in their opening five games. In midweek they had drawn 0-0 with Shrewton United but on Saturday there were plenty of goals as they and opponents Purton Kingsdown both scored three times, Dan Jones, Josh Atwell and Aiden Miller with the Purton Kingsdown goals, Brandon Lee-Vincent, Josh Fowler and Kyle Bird with the Pewsey Vale goals. Pewsey Vale are now unbeaten in four games but will be wanting to turn those draws into victories quickly if they are to mount a title challenge.

The final game on Saturday saw Trowbridge Town become the last side in the division to register their first win of the season in a division that has the hallmarks of being a tight and evenly contested one this season, with everybody capable of beating everybody on their day. Two goals in each half for Trowbridge saw them record a 4-1 away win at Devizes Town Reserves. George Bendle and Olly Sterling gave Trowbridge a 2-0 half time lead. Bendle then made it 3-0 early in the second half with an audacious lob for his second of the game. It remained that way until three minutes from time when Finley Palmer reduced the deficit for Devizes. There was still time for one more goal, though, and it went the way of the visitors, Bendle completing his hat-trick after being set up by Lewis Harford as Trowbridge got their season up and running courtesy of the 4-1 win. The victory saw them climb five places in the table with their beaten opponents replacing them at the bottom of the table on goal difference.  Both David Giles and Alwyn Bodman were at the game with their cameras yesterday and there pictures can be found on the League Facebook Group page.

Division One

The top match of the day in Division One on Saturday was the game between the two teams who had a perfect record going into the weekend, with leaders Bradford Town Reserves meeting Great Western on the 3G pitch at New College in Swindon. Bradford Town had won all three of their opening fixtures and came into the game on the back of a big win in midweek over Westbury United Reserves, whilst Great Western had won both of their opening two games. A close game was anticipated, and it proved to be just that settled by a solitary goal scored by Great Western’s Ethan Miller. Despite the defeat Bradford Town Reserves remained top of the table on goal difference, but Great Western are now level on points with them in third placed with a game in hand.

Sat between the two are Redhouse who picked up their third win in four games with a 4-2 local derby victory over Stratton in the late game at Moredon. Two more goals for the prolific Cameron Shrubb saw him move into double figures for the season already after just four games, two goals also for Taylor Edwards. Both Stratton goals were scored by Taylor Malkin.

Shrivenham Development have made a much better start to the season that their first team, securing their second win of the season to sit fourth in the table. In their game against Kintbury Rangers Reserves the victory was secured in the first half as two goals from Charlie McCrae and one from Luke Saunders gave them a 3-0 half time lead over visitors Kintbury Rangers Reserves. Kintbury had a better second half pulling one back through Charlie Allsop but the damage had been done in the opening half as Shrivenham ran out 3-1 winners.

Biggest winners of the day were Bishops Cannings who scored eight unanswered goals against Faringdon Town Development at Green Lane. Harry Drewitt led the way with a hat-trick, with both Szymon Raczek and Ethan Howard bagging a brace with the other goal coming through Ben Tylee. The 8-0 win saw Bishops Cannings move up to fifth place in the table.

Marlborough Town bounced back from their defeat at the hands of Pewsey Vale Development in their last outing with a 3-1 away win over Purton Kingsdown Reserves thanks to two goals from Josh De Souza and one from Harry Womersley, Bongumenzi Ceko with his fourth goal of the season scoring for the home side.

In the other game played on Saturday Pewsey Vale Development picked up a second home victory of the season, an own goal and one from Charlie Dorland giving them a 2-0 win over visitors Malmesbury Victoria Development.

There is a full round of midweek fixtures this week in Division One. On Tuesday night second placed Redhouse visit Fairford Town Reserves, the same night Great Western will look to maintain their perfect record when they visit Bishops Cannings. In Swindon, again on Tuesday, Stratton have another local derby encounter when they entertain Purton Kingsdown Reserves, whilst Faringdon Town Development entertain their near neighbours Shrivenham Development the same evening. The final game on Tuesday night sees Pewsey Vale Development entertain Westbury United Reserves.

There are then two games scheduled for Wednesday evening, with league leaders Bradford Town Reserves away at Malmesbury Victoria Development and Kintbury Rangers Reserves at home to Lambourn Sports.