Veterans' League Cup

After the previous week’s action in the Wiltshire FA County Cup, this week it was the turn of the Veterans’ League Cup to take centre stage with games taking place in both the First and Second Rounds of the competition.

First Round

There were six games played in the First Round with the first two games taking place on Monday night. There was an all-Mid-Wiltshire Division tie at Selwood Academy where Trowbridge Town Tigers staged what will hopefully be their final game at the school this season, with future games set to be at Woodmarsh starting with their next league fixture. It was to prove to be a disappointing night on the 3G at Selwood as two goals from Craig Hayward gave Barford Hornets a 2-0 away win. Barford Hornets will now be away to Royal Wootton Bassett Town in the next round.

The other tie played on Monday night was an inter-divisional affair at Moredon in Swindon between Stratton from the North Wiltshire Division and Radstock Town from the Mid Wiltshire Division. Whilst the journey was a long one the 4-1 away win for Radstock Town made that long journey a worthwhile one, James Billing, Adam Pugsley, Jack Broadway and Thomas Redwood with the Radstock goals, Jason Tatum with the consolation goal for Stratton.

The following night Stratton’s stablemates FS Stratton were in action, again against a side from the Mid-Wiltshire Division in the shape of Calne Town. Once again it would be the Mid-Wiltshire Division side who came out on top thanks to goals from George Brown and Gary Newman in a 2-0 win. Calne Town’s reward is an away tie against fellow Mid Wiltshire Division side Radstock Town in the Second Round.

The same night there was guaranteed to be a side making it through the round from the North Wiltshire Division when Chiseldon and AFC Swindon  met at New College. When the two sides had met at the start of the season in the league it had finished all square with the two sides sharing four goals and it was to prove to be another close game with a solitary goal from Adam O’Keeffe settling the tie in Chiseldon’s favour. Chiseldon will now be away to ExIntel in the Second Round.

The remaining two First Round ties saw another two sides from the North Wiltshire Division progress to the Second Round. On Wednesday night at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, Royal Wootton Bassett Town bounced back from their surprise defeat at the hands of FS Stratton in teh County Cup with a comfortable 4-0 home win over Mid Wiltshire Division side Bishops Cannings. Chris Head was the star of the show helping himself to a hat-trick with Mark Simpkins getting the other goal for the home side.

The final game in the First Round was on Thursday night at Moredon and it saw Purton Kingsdown record a big 7-2 win over fellow North Division side Swindon Rovers completing a league and cup double over Rovers having also beaten them 2-1 in the league. James Tinsley led the way scoring four of the Purton Kingsdown goals with Patrick Slattery, Paul Cooper and Rory Sproule also getting on the score sheet, Matthew Garrett and Taiwo Abolarin with the Swindon Rovers goals. Purton Kingsdown will now be away to Mid Wiltshire Division league leaders Devizes Town in the next round.

Second Round

The top five teams last season from each of the two divisions had been given byes to the Second Round of the League Cup and, given the way the draw panned out, it was possible to stage four of the Second Round ties in the same week as the First Round games.

On Monday night Redhouse, the league leaders in the North Wiltshire Division, made the long journey south to take on Warminster Town in a rare outing on grass for the Swindon based side given that all the teams in the North Wiltshire Division play on 3G surfaces. It was to prove to be an unhappy experience as they fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat, goals from Tom Baxter and James Vincent securing the win for Warminster, Dave Pratt with the Redhouse goal, his eighth of the season.

The top game of the Second Round was on Wednesday night at Bulford in what was a repeat of last seasons final between Durrington and Nationwide. Last season it was Durrington who had come out on top to lift the League Cup but this season’s meeting between the two sides went the way of Nationwide, as they avenged that cup final defeat thanks to goals from Neil Snow and Mason Worthington in a 2-0 win.

The same night last season’s County Cup winners Cricklade Town progressed to the last eight of this season’s League Cup competition with a 3-0 home win over Penhill United at Cirencester Town. On target for Cricklade were Stuart Hughes, Adam Smith and Dean Wilson. Penhill’s cause was not helped by having former Cricklade player Stuart Hemsley sent off.

The final tie in the Second Round was on Friday night at Green Lane where Melksham Town had a comfortable passage through to the Quarter Final stage with a 7-0 win over Westbury United. Leading scorer Gary Higdon added four more to his tally to move into double figures for the season, Lee Morgan scored from the penalty spot but also missed another, with Dan King and Matt Cooper getting the other two Melksham goals.

All the results so far in the cup and the remaining Second Round games to be played are shown below: