The Don (sponsored by The Snooty Mehmaan & The Advertiser Magazine & Pickpackplus) hopes to beat the weather gods this weekend and get the season back on track as Cricklade Town visit Tucker Park for a Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Division One fixture. The Crick travel to Town on the back of a convincing second-half Wilshire Senior Cup performance, where they destroyed Moredon FC with six unanswered goals in a 7-1 victory. One thing is for sure with Cricklade, this tie is guaranteed to be competitive with the visitors winning six of their eleven league fixtures but losing five. One of those victories was over current league leaders Park Utd, 2-1 at Cricklade Leisure Centre in August when top scorer and centre half, Josh Riggs and Thomas Whitham netted. Riggs has notched seven goals in ten appearances so far this season, so will be a handful in both penalty areas.
The Don over the last couple of months has had a very stop-start campaign with what appears to be play one week and miss the next. This has been caused by the various county cup competitions the Wilts Senior League compete in and the recent wet weather spells. Last week’s home game with Lambourn was lost due to Storm Ciaran, but it’s hoped the Tucker Park playing surface will stand up to this week’s weather. Kick-off at Tucker Park is 14:15, with the clubhouse open from 12:00.
Squad From
Adam Rudman
Adam Sly
George James
Harry Timbrell
Jack Gibson
Jamie Arlott
Jamie Tuck
Josh Forth
Kyle Bowyer
Liam Hares
Luke Davenport
Luke Smith
Matt Pill
Pete Fletcher
Ray Lovell
Sam Leech
The Development squad (sponsored by J Godfrey & Son Funeral Services & Las Chicas Faringdon) return to fellow Witney & District Division Two club Wootton Sports on Saturday, having visited three weeks ago in the league. This weekend the tie in the second round of the Fred Ford Cup, a competition that the Devs reached the final of last season. Their road to this season’s final is going to be difficult, with Wootton Sports currently joint top of Division Two, with eight wins from eight league ties so far, although they have had three points deducted for disciplinary reasons. Three weeks ago, the Devs gave Sports a competitive fixture succumbing to a 6-3 defeat. The Achilles heel for Town, which was highlighted in last weekend’s defeat to CHQ Utd, is giving away cheap goals due to individual defensive lapses of concentration. However, the squad proved last season that they were able to compete and beat sides from higher divisions in this competition to cause the odd surprise upset.
Sports main goal threat comes from their strike due of Jamie McCuaig and Asha Townsend who have netted twenty-two times so far this season, including a hat-trick for McCuaig and two for Townsend in the league encounter between the two sides three weeks ago. Kick-off at the Wootton War Memorial Playing Fields in 13:30 and if you can support the lads, directions are available here: Google Maps
Ben Stratford’s A Team (sponsored by Wessex Recovery) are also on their travels as they visit Sherborne Harriers in Gloucestershire for a Witney & District Division Three tie, hoping to move away from the gaggle of lower table teams and join in with the top half of the league table. Town currently sit in ninth position with seven points, while Harriers are sitting in sixth with twelve points. The home club have one of the best defensive records in the division with just nine goals conceded, however, they are not prolific in front of goals themselves, with just fifteen scored. Town A has found goals difficult to come by, with just twelve scored and have conceded eighteen from their seven league ties. Harriers main goal threat will come from Daniel O’Toole (five from five) and Joshua Betteridge (six from seven). Kick-off at Sherborn Playing Fields is at 14:00 and any support would be welcome, with the location available here: Google Maps
