Wroughton's Shane Hibbert and Aaron Maximen attacking the Trowbridge goal in the Wiltshire Senior Cup tie

(picture courtesy of Alwyn Bodman)

Premier Division

There was just one league game played in midweek in the Premier Division of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League, and it saw Shrewton United close the gap to the top two sides with a 3-2 win away at Devizes Town Reserves. Shrewton actually led 3-0 at one stage thanks to two more goals from Kian Tydeman, that saw him take his tally for the season to 20, and one from Sanjay Samuda. However, two late goals for Devizes from Kieran Gleed made the final score a lot closer but Shrewton got over the line to secure three more vital points to move to within three points of the leaders with a game in hand.

With Larkhall Athletic Development otherwise engaged in Somerset Senior Cup action, Swindon Supermarine Dev had the opportunity to regain the leadership of the Premier Division if they could win at home against Park United. It was mission accomplished for Matt Roberts side as a goal in each half secured a 2-0 win. Leading scorer Tom Phillips put them ahead with his tenth goal of the season and a second from Harry Johnson made sure of the points.  

Melksham Town Reserves  had beaten Calne Town Reserves  2-0 at Calne back in August and with most of the division otherwise engaged in cup competitions were looking at closing the gap to the top three by completing a league double over Calne. They were in for a tough afternoon though as the young Calne side pushed them all the way, but Melksham eventually secured a narrow 2-1 win thanks to two goals from Tom Dowell, Fin Thomas with the Calne Town Reserves goal. Calne probably deserved something from the game for their efforts but remain bottom of the table for now but that elusive second win of the season cannot be too far away if they continue to put in performances like they did on Saturday. The win for Melksham saw them move to within two points of third placed Shrewton United.

Purton Kingsdown bounced back from last week’s defeat at the hands of Devizes Town Reserves with a narrow 2-1 win over Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves thanks to goals from Ollie Rejak and Ollie While, Kian Timms with the Bemerton goal. The win for Purton Kingsdown saw them move up into the top half of the table.

Fountain Trophies Cup

The First Round of the Fountain Trophies Cup got underway in midweek with two contrasting games. Division One side Westbury United Reserves were home to Premier Division side Melksham Town Reserves, and it turned out to be a one-sided affair with the Division One side no match for the Melksham side who are challenging for honours at the top of the Premier Division. There were hat-tricks for both Tom Dowell and Ollie Farrell, Liam Brooks and Matt Robinson both bagged a brace with further goals from Olly Clarke and Nick Taylor in a 12-1 win for Melksham, Rayane Hamdie with the consolation goal for Westbury ten minutes from time.

It was a different story in the other midweek tie between Malmesbury Vics Development  and Kintbury Rangers Reserves, both sides from Division One of the league. With the game level at 1-1 and moving into its closing stages it looked like penalties would be needed to settle matters. However, ten-man Kintbury Rangers were to suffer heartbreak when Malmesbury scored a last-minute winner, Gareth Jones and Jacob Pinnell with the Malmesbury goals, Charlie Allsop with his eleventh of the season getting the Kintbury goal.

On Saturday there were three all Premier Division ties played with Devizes Town Reserves, Down Ampney and Shrivenham all progressing to Round Two. Devizes Town Reserves have won three of their fourteen league games to date this season and one of those victories came away at Cricklade Town. Saturday saw them return to the scene of that victory and complete a league and cup double at Cricklade Leisure Centre thanks to a hat-trick from Freddie Wyatt in a 3-1 win, Callum Courtney with the Cricklade Town goal.

Last season Down Ampney had reached the semi-final of this competition as a Division One side and were again looking to have another good cup run this season when they entertained Faringdon Town. On a blustery afternoon due to Storm Amy, Faringdon had the wind behind them in the first half but failed to take advantage of the conditions, finding themselves trailing 1-0 at the break to a goal from Connor Hibbs, Hibbs firing home after visiting keeper Jack Gibson had saved his initial effort on goal. It remained just that one goal in it until injury time at the end of the game when Paddy Cripps bagged a second for Down Ampney to confirm their place in the draw for the Second Round.  

In the other game played on Saturday, Shrivenham found themselves 2-0 down at home against Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, Prince Nyongolo and Flynn Walters with the goals for the visitors. However, James Hirst pulled one back before the break meaning there was just the one goal in it as the teams turned around at the interval with all still to play for. Chris Rivers leveled matters up for Shrivenham  after the break and the home side then completed the comeback when Brad Hirst scored a third for Shrivenham with what turned out to be the winning goal to confirm Shrivenham’s place in the last 16.

Wiltshire Senior Cup

There were two games played on Saturday in the Wiltshire Senior Cup with both games being tight affairs that in the end needed penalties to settle matters. Two in-form teams met at Shrewton Recreation Ground where Shrewton United’s visitors were Pewsey Vale. When the two sides had met in the league back in August at Pewsey it had finished 0-0 and it was to prove to be another close encounter. Pewsey Vale went in front on 16 minutes, leading scorer Josh Fowler with goal number 13 of the season putting his side ahead. It remained just the one goal in it at the break, and it stayed that way until 17 minutes from time when Lewis Cross grabbed an equaliser for Shrewton. With no further goals in the remaining minutes, it meant penalties would be needed to decide matters. It was Pewsey Vale who came out on top in the spot kick contest 4-3 to progress to the quarter final stage of the competition.

The previous week at the Weir Field Wroughton and Trowbridge Town had shared six goals and the points in their league encounter, this Saturday was a repeat of that encounter but this time in the Wiltshire Senior Cup. Not quite same time, same place with the games in the Wiltshire Senior Cup kicking off at 2pm. It was once again a close encounter with the two sides this time sharing four goals, Martin Johnson scoring twice for Trowbridge Town in the 2-2 draw and veterans’ Shane Hibbert and Aaron Maximen getting the two goals for the home side. This Saturday there had to be a winner though, and it was to be Wroughton. They continued their recent success in this competition, having twice reached the final in the past three seasons, progressing to the next round, courtesy of a 5-3 win on penalties.

Somerset Senior Cup

Larkhall Athletic Development’s interest in the Somerset Senior Cup this season lasted just one game as they fell to a 4-1 home defeat at the hands of Wells City Reserves from the Somerset County League Premier Division. With several key players missing Larkhall were not at their best and were well beaten in the end, with just a single goal from James Payton to show for their afternoon’s efforts.

Wiltshire Junior Cup

In the Second Round of the Wiltshire Junior Cup just three of the seven ties played involving sides from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League saw victories for teams from the league on what proved to be a disappointing afternoon. However, both Bishops Cannings and Redhouse had a comfortable passage through to the Third Round of the competition. At Green Lane, Bishops Cannings were home to Highworth Town Reserves from the Uhlsport Hellenic League Alliance West Division in what on paper looked to be a tough tie. First half goals from Szymon Raczek and Oliver Barnes saw Bishops Cannings lead 2-0 at the break and they made sure of progress to the next round with three further goals in the second half. Raczek got his second of the game whilst a quickfire fourth and fifth for Bishops Cannings from Harry Drewitt and Ben Haffenden in the final quarter of an hour of the game made sure there was no way back for Highworth.

Redhouse were up against Coleview from the Premier Division of the Swindon & District League who have made a good start to their season and went into the fixture unbeaten in their opening two league games and placed second in the table. However, they were to be no match for the Wiltshire Senior League side who raced into a 5-0 lead before three late goals for the home side made the final score look a little bit more respectable for the Swindon & District League side. There were five different scorers for Redhouse, Charlie Chambers and Kieran Curtis gave them a 2-0 half time lead, with Jack Duffy, Taylor Edwards and Kieran Butler getting the second half goals for Redhouse before that late rally from Coleview.

The third side through to the last 16 of the competition are Purton Kingsdown Reserves who won the all-Wiltshire Senior League tie against near neighbours Stratton. Two goals from Taylor Burt and one from Connor Taylor-Harrison gave Purton Kingsdown Reserves a 3-0 win that sees them through to the next round.

Marlborough Town went close to joining the three successful sides in the next round but in the end lost on penalties against last season’s Swindon & District League Premier Division Champions Shield & Dagger. Marlborough were left to rue a missed penalty right at the end of normal time which would have negated the need for a penalty shootout. The game finished 2-2 at the end of 90-minutes, Harry Womersley and Rich Downey with the Marlborough Town goals with Shield & Dagger holding their nerve in the shootout to win the tie 5-4 on penalties.

After their League Cup win in midweek Malmesbury Victoria Development were unable to make it a cup double for the week, a poor performance saw them crash out 3-0 away at near neighbours Sherston Town who play in the Stroud League.

Bradford Town Reserves also exited the competition going down 2-0 away at Trowbridge & District League side FC Devizes United, the home side scoring once in each half to progress to the next round.

The final tie involving a side from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League was the game between Great Western and Mere Town who play in the Dorset Senior League and who were runners-up in their league last season. In a close encounter the South Wiltshire based side edged it by the odd goal in five, Joe Harrison-Butcher and Stephen Winslow with the two goals for Great Western. The full results in this season's cup competition so far are shown below:

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