Premier Division

With all the heavy rain at the back end of the week it was feared that there would be a heavy loss of games this weekend. Whilst Division One was certainly adversely impacted, in the end, the Premier Division was relatively unscathed. With the difficult wet and cold season having now commenced the good news is that the league is well advanced with fixtures this season, in fact it is the furthest advanced on any of the 49 National Feeder Leagues across the country, helped by having 11 of the 18 sides now having access to floodlights.  With the leagues above in the National League System set to finish early in April to facilitate the end of season play-offs, the aim is to try and finish league games at the same time as the leagues above to avoid the title, promotion and relegation issues in our league being distorted by an influx of dual-signed players in the final two weeks of the season, with the FA at Wembley having recently re-affirmed that all games need to be completed by Saturday 2^nd May.

With all their nearest rivals for the league title being inactive Shrewton United took full advantage to extend their lead at the top of the table with a 4-0 home win over Bemerton Heath Harlequins Reserves who had knocked Shrewton out of the Fountain Trophies Cup on their last visit to the Recreation Ground. In front of a large crowd, Bemerton did well to frustrate the free-scoring league leaders in the opening half hour and it took until the 36^th minute for Shrewton to break the deadlock. A ball from Charlie Utterson found Jordan Cross whose ball across the box found Morgan Aldridge who slotted the ball into the net for his fifth goal of the season. Having made the breakthrough, the home crowd did not have to wait long for the second, two minutes later Aldridge went from scorer to provider crossing for Justin Bennett to head home for 2-0 and give his side to two goal cushion at the break. It was to remain that way until the closing minutes at the end of the game. Shrewton finally made sure of the three points three minutes from time when Sanjay Samuda scored with a stunning strike, picking the ball up on the left-hand side, he cut in and curled a shot into the top corner of the net for 3-0. There was still time for one more, Liam Palfreeman scoring a fourth Shrewton goal in injury time to round off a good afternoon for the league leaders and avenge that cup defeat last month.

There was a very competitive local derby encounter at the Ian Richardson Football Ground where two in-form sides, Shrivenham and Letcombe were up against each other. Letcombe went into the game on the back of an impressive run that had seen them go unbeaten in 11 league games, seven of which had been won. Shrivenham meanwhile were unbeaten in seven league games, five of which had been won and included victories over two of the top three sides, Swindon Supermarine and Larkhall Athletic Development. A close encounter was anticipated, and it proved to be just that, the game ultimately being decided by the narrowest of margins, a solitary goal scored by Shrivenham’s Marshall Thompson giving the home side all three points. Shrivenham remain in eighth place in the table, but the win saw them move to within two points of Pewsey Vale, the side just above them in the table, whilst results elsewhere saw Letcombe drop one place in the table.

The side to move above Letcombe were Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, albeit on goal difference only, as they picked up a point following a 3-3 home draw with struggling Wroughton in an entertaining game on the 3G at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground. That is two weeks running that Wroughton have been involved in a 3-3 game and the third time in league games this season. It was the visitors Wroughton who scored the first goal of the game, Riegan Cook on his return from injury putting them 1-0 up early on. Parity was restored just before the half hour mark, Flynn Walters bringing the home side back level with his third goal of the season since his return from Calne Town. Cook then fired Wroughton back in front with his second of the game. Wroughton held the 2-1 lead until 16 minutes from time when Toby Parker brought Royal Wootton Bassett Town back level for the second time in the game. It got even better for the home side when two minutes later Walters scored his second of the game to put his side ahead for the first time in the game. There was to be no victory for his side though as the award of a penalty late on in the game saw Wroughton take a share of the points, Charlie Thomas putting the spot kick away. That is now seven games unbeaten in all competitions for Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development.

There was another entertaining game at Tucker Park where Faringdon Town entertained bottom of the table Calne Town Reserves. That second win of the season continues to elude the young Calne side who actually led 2-0 at half time. However, there was to be a complete turnaround in the second half. Two goals from Jack Moss brought the home side back level before goals from Mitchell Coombes and Matthew Pill put the home side 4-2 up. Calne were able to pull one back late on but once again they fell to another narrow defeat on the road, which sees them having picked up just the one point away from home in their ten away games so far this season. There were two more goals for Jack Smith with Charlie Walder getting the other Calne goal.

The final game played in the Premier Division on Saturday was the game involving teams at the bottom end of the table, Devizes Town Reserves and Cricklade Town. In another close encounter goals from Liam Moffat and Freddie Wyatt were enough to give Devizes all three points in a 2-1 win that saw them climb out of the bottom four and above their beaten opponents. The Cricklade Town goal courtesy of a Calum Courtney free kick. Whilst Devizes are now up to 11^th place in the table, they are still very much in a battle to avoid the drop come the end of the season with there being just three points separating six teams in the positions above the bottom two.

The game between Melksham Town Reserves and Park United was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch and the fixture between Trowbridge Town and Larkhall Athletic Development was postponed by the referee due to safety concerns over the drainage channels on the pitch following the summer maintenance work.

The one outstanding tie in the First Round of the Fountain Trophies Cup went ahead on Saturday with Pewsey Vale becoming the final side through to the round of 16 with a 3-1 win over Purton Kingsdown. There were two more goals for Josh Fowler taking his total for the season to 17, with James Guthrie getting the other Pewsey Vale goal from the penalty spot, Ollie While with the Purton Kingsdown goal. Pewsey Vale will now be home to Devizes Town Reserves in the next round. The scheduled Second Round tie between Premier Division Swindon Supermarine Development and Marlborough Town from Division One was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch following the heavy rain on Friday.

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