The Veterans’ Divisions of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League got underway this week and whilst it was a successful start in the North Wiltshire Division with all five scheduled games getting played, just three of the scheduled six games in the Mid Wiltshire Division were played in the end, with Chippenham Town and Warminster Town both being unable to field sides and conceding the points to their opponents Trowbirdge Town Tigers and Corsham Town, and the game at Devizes being postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

The early leaders in the Mid Wiltshire Division are the side who have finished in the top two each and every season of the division’s existence, Melksham Town. A hat-trick from Luke Ballinger and one from Lee Morgan did the damage for Melksham in their 4-0 win over Calne Town.

The following night last season’s beaten league cup finalists Westbury United got their season off to a winning start, player manager and club chairman Philip Hampson getting one of the three goals with Nick Ross and Ryan Earney also on target for Westbury in a 3-0 win against Amesbury Junior Badgers. Martin Pearce was there with his camera and more of Martin’s excellent photos can be found on the League Facebook Group page.

The only other game to get played in the Mid Wiltshire Division was on Friday night at Green Lane and it saw the one new side in the division, Bishops Cannings, get off to a successful start with a 2-1 win over Radstock Town thanks to goals from Leigh Blanchard and John Ford.

The highest scoring game of the five matches played in the North Wiltshire Division was the game between the two new sides to the league, ExIntel and FS Swindon, who were playing each other at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground on Wednesday night. The game saw ten goals with eight of them being scored by ExIntel in an emphatic 8-2 victory. Richard Clark, James Joyce and Junior Small all scored twice for ExIntel with Mike Backwell and Adrian Male getting the other two ExIntel goals, Kevin Robey and Marc Cowen replying for FS Swindon.

Last season’s champions Cricklade Town got their season off to a winning start at home to Royal Wootton Bassett Town but were pushed all the way by the visitors, the winner coming from a late disputed penalty. Stuart Hughes and Adam Smith with the Cricklade goals, Jeremy Newton scoring for Royal Wootton Bassett Town.

Last seasons double cup winners Coate have rebranded themselves as Nationwide in the summer and it was to be a winning start under their new name as first half goals from Adam Rudman and Paul Stonehouse secured a 2-0 win over Chiseldon.

The other two games in the division, both played at the new 3G facility at Moredon, were settled by one goal margins. On Tuesday night Andrew Copland put AFC Swindon 1-0 up 13 minutes from time in their game against Swindon Rovers, but the lead would last just two minutes as Lee Holland put Rovers back on level terms. A second from Holland five minutes from time secured all three points for Swindon Rovers.

North Wiltshire Division

Last season’s champions in the North Wiltshire Veterans’ Division, Cricklade Town, are once again the early leaders of the division after a convincing 14-1 win over Stratton Juniors at Moredon on Thursday night. After failing to score in last week’s opening game, last season’s leading scorer TJ Bohane returned to goal scoring form bagging five of the Cricklade goals. Adam Smith helped himself to a hat-trick, both Phil Corcoran and Stuart Hughes bagged a brace, with the other two goals coming through Marcus Hall and new signing Anthony McCusker.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town bounced back from last week’s narrow defeat at the hands of Cricklade with a big win of their own on Wednesday night, putting nine goals past AFC Swindon without reply. New signing Philip Hall scored four of the Bassett goals with the other five being shared around the team with one apiece for Josh Connolly, Mark Simpkins, Chris Head, Mark King and Jeremy Newton.

The same night last season’s runners-up Redhouse got their season off to a winning start with an 8-2 demolition of new side FS Swindon. Last season’s top scorer in the division David Pratt carried on from where he left off last season, getting four for Redhouse. New signing Nigel Baker helped himself to a hat-trick with the other Redhouse goal being scored by Fred Galrito. The two consolation goals for FS Swindon were scored by Jordan McCalla and Nick Zenonos.

It was a tight affair on Tuesday night at New College in the game between Chisledon and ExIntel with the only goal of the game coming three minutes from time, with Alex Rudd netting for ExIntel to make it two wins from their opening two games for the other new side to the division. For Chiseldon that is now a second defeat of the season.

Nationwide are another team to make it two wins from their opening two games on Tuesday night, goals from Andrew Goodchild and Marc Merritt giving them a 2-0 win over a hard working Swindon Rovers side who pushed them all the way, the second Nationwide goal only being scored a minute from time.

Mid Wiltshire Division

Thankfully all six games in the Mid Wiltshire Division went ahead this week and after just two games of the season the league table already has something of a familiar look to it with last seasons top two heading the table on six points. Last season’s runners-up Melksham Town were the biggest winners of the week in the division putting nine goals past Amesbury Junior Badgers. New signing Gary Higdon led the way scoring five of the goals in the 9-1-win, Tom Robinson with two, David Macey and Steve Tweddle, who has returned to Melksham after spending three seasons away with Chippenham Town, Corsham Town and Bradford Town, with the other goals. The consolation goal for Amesbury was scored by Stuart Duck.

Champions Corsham Town were made to work a lot harder for their three points by Westbury United, eventually securing the points thanks to goals from Jonathan Scott and Adrian Webb in a 2-1 win, Ryan Earney with his second of the season replying for Westbury. The win for Corsham saw them join Melksham at the top on six points.  

There are then seven sides on three points. Chippenham Town joined that group with a big win over new side Bishops Cannings who had opened their season with a win the previous week. James Weston led the way scoring a hat-trick for Chippenham with both Darren Chitty and Daniel Castle scoring twice in a 7-1 win, Grant Thirkell with the consolation goal for Bishops Cannings.

Radstock Town bounced back from their defeat at the hands of Bishops Cannings the previous week with a convincing 6-0 win over a struggling Calne Town side who have yet to score in their opening two games and have now conceded ten at the other end. Steven Knight led the way for Radstock with a hat-trick, Adam Pugsley bagged two adding to the one he scored the previous week, with Steven Gilham getting the other Radstock goal.

Devizes Town got their season off to a winning start after being frustrated the previous week when their game fell victim to a waterlogged pitch. This week they travelled south to Warminster Town on Friday night and returned with all three points thanks to an impressive 4-0 win. Last season’s top scorer Rhys Schell was once again amongst the goals smashing a hat-trick with the other goal coming through Chris Allen.

Durrington opened their campaign with a 4-2 win over Trowbridge Town Tigers, Aaron Aaron Hahnenfield and Clifford Sakyi getting the two goals for the Tigers.

North Wiltshire Division

With Cricklade Town the team without a game this week, Nationwide and ExIntel both had the chance to move clear at the top of the North Wiltshire Veterans’ Division. On Wednesday night at Moredon things looked to be going well for Nationwide as goals from Adam Rudman and Thomas Steptoe put them 2-0 up against Royal Wootton Bassett Town with just 13 minutes on the clock. However, Royal Wootton Bassett Town came back strongly in the second half to score two goals of their own through Josh Connolly to level matters up at 2-2. Despite having Richie Saunders sent off for a second yellow card Royal Wootton Bassett Town held out to become the first side to take points off Nationwide. However, because of the results elsewhere the point for Nationwide was enough to send them top of the table.

The same night at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, ExIntel also dropped their first points of the season when they fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of last season’s runners-up Redhouse. ExIntel scored their goal as early as the fourth minute of the game, Richard Clark with the goal, but goals from last season’s top scorer David Pratt and Dean Hughes ensured Redhouse maintained their winning start to the new season. Redhouse are in a group of four teams on six points, a point behind Nationwide with a game in hand.

Biggest winners of the week were Penhill United who scored nine goals without replay on Thursday night against new side FS Swindon who have now lost all three of their opening games. There were hat-tricks for both Jamei Ashby and Lee Hollamby with further goals Chris Flanagan, Chris Allen and Gary Macieszonek in Penhill’s emphatic win.

The two games on Tuesday night saw three of the four teams looking for their first points of the season and two of the teams were to get themselves off the mark. At New College AFC Swindon were comfortable winners over Stratton Juniors to get their season up and running. Two second half goals from Andrew Copland and a last-minute effort from Gareth Walton to add to the first half goal from Andy Philpott did the damage for AFC Swindon. AFC Swindon moved up to eighth spot as a result of the win whilst Stratton Juniors, like FS Swindon, remain without a point after their three opening fixtures.

The other game on Tuesday night at Moredon saw Swindon Rovers and Chiseldon up against each other with Chiseldon still looking for their first point of the season after opening the season with two defeats. It was goalless at the break, but Craig Johnson fired Swindon Rovers in front eight minutes into the second half but Chiseldon got something out of the game with an equaliser five minutes from time through Adam O’Keeffe.

Mid Wiltshire Division

Action in the Mid Wiltshire Division got underway on Monday night and it saw a rare 0-0 draw in Veterans’ football between Calne Town and Chippenham Town at MOD Lyneham.

The following night Amesbury Junior Badger, who went the whole of last season without picking up any points, were gifted three points when Radstock Town were unable to field a side for the game at Tidworth.

The same night saw the big game at the top of the table involving last season’s champions Corsham Town and last season’s runners-up Melksham Town who both went into the game having secured the points from their first two games of the season. It was to be Melksham’s night at Green Lane, particularly in the second half. The teams turned around with the score at half time all level at 1-1 but four unanswered second half goals for Melksham saw them avenge the 3-0 defeat they suffered in last season’s corresponding fixture. The goals were shared around the team with one apiece for Robert Cousins, Aaron Ledgister, Tom Robinson, Steve Tweddle and substitute James Taylor, Jonathan Scott with that first half goal for Corsham.

On Thursday night at Nursteed Road, Devizes Town made it two wins from two with a 4-1 victory over Westbury United, with both Rhys Schell and Chris Allen both scoring twice for the home side, Dale Rowland with a consolation goal for Westbury in the final minute of the game. Devizes look like they could be one of the main title contenders for Melksham this season, with the two teams set to meet this coming Monday at Melksham.  David Giles was at the game with his camera and his excellent pictures from the game can be viewed on the League Facebook Page.

There were two games on Friday night to complete the action in the Mid Wiltshire Division. At Green Lane Bishops Cannings hosted Trowbridge Town Tigers and the game remained without a goal until four minutes from time when Tigers Clifford Sakyi broke the deadlock to give Trowbridge a second win of the season.

The other game on Friday night was at Warminster Town where the home side entertained Durrington who also look to be serious title contenders this season. The teams turned round with the game still looking for its first goal but second half goals from Ben Reilly, Toby Watson and David Whittaker for Durrington, with just one in reply for Warminster, gave Durrington all three points and maintained their winning start to the season.