TROWBRIDGE & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE: Boomsbury romp to opening-day win (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

TROWBRIDGE & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE: Boomsbury romp to opening-day win

12:00pm Monday 3rd September 2012 in Sport

LAST season’s Trowbridge Windows & Conservatories sponsored-Trowbridge & District Football League Division One champions Trowbridge Wanderers began the defence of their title with a plum opening day fixture at Ben Howe’s title favourites Boomsbury.

Wanderers, who had lost manager Dan Mercer and a number of their title-winning side to Bradford Town Reserves in the close season, were always going to be up against it and so it proved as Boomsbury romped to a 9-1 victory to send out an early warning to the rest of the division.

Carl Davies, who was the star of the show for Boomsbury in their comeback win over Calne Eagles in last term's Division Two Cup final, picked up where he left off from on that May evening at Weymouth Street.

Davies netted a first-half treble with further goals from Pete Spong, Booker Woodford and Matt Jones giving them a 6-0 interval lead.

The goals may have dried up in the second period but a second from Woodford along with a goal from Rueben Spong and substitute Neil Hannaford took the tally to nine, with Wanderers reply coming from Tom Pang.

Freshford United 2 Westbury United Reserves 2

ONE of the eye catching matches of the opening day was at Brown’s Park, Freshford, where Hughie Fulton’s villagers and last term's runners up entertained Phil Alford’s Westbury United Reserves, who had finished just below them in the standings.

Honours were shared last term with one win apiece so it was little surprise that the first meeting of the sides this term ended in stalemate.

Marc Lanfear saw his opener for Westbury cancelled out by Elliott Carris-Smith, who headed Freshford level within a minute of his side falling behind.

Westbury retook the lead just before half time when Ashley Easton scored from the penalty spot to give the visitors a 2-1 half time advantage.

With time running out and the points on their way back to Westbury, up popped Carris-Smith to head home his second for Fulton’s men to deny Westbury what would have been an important win at this very early stage of proceedings.

Castle Combe 1 North Bradley 7

A NEW-LOOK North Bradley side under Paul Ranger travelled to Castle Combe and, with Bradley expected to be off the pace for their first game in the division, it was Combe who were predicted to take the points.

The pundits were proved wrong as Bradley turned on the style with a storming second-half display to hammer their hosts 7-1.

Bradley started the game well but against the run of play they fell behind to a Carl Dawson goal, but they responded well and fashioned an equaliser before the break with Lewis Smith making it 1-1.

The second half it was all Bradley as they hit six unanswered goals, Dean Ranger helped himself to a hat-trick, Dave Appleyard grabbed a double and a second of the afternoon from Smith completed the romp.

Semington Magpies 2 Bradford United 1

SEMINGTON Magpies may have closed out last season with a 3-1 defeat at Bradford United, but when the sides meet at Magpies Littlemarsh base at the weekend it was Ricky King’s hosts who prevailed, taking the spoils thanks to their 2-1 win.

It what was a surprisingly dour season’s opener it was Bradford who struck the first blow with Tom Bouquet heading them ahead on 20 minutes.

Semington were level 10 minutes later, when they were awarded a penalty after Dan Rimmer had been brought down. Andy Harrison kept his cool as he tucked the ball home for 1-1.

Semington wrapped up the points on 35 minutes after a good move down the right wing involving Ricky King and Dan Rimmer resulted in Rich Allum tapping in the winner at the far post.

MATCH OFF: Melksham Town Reserves v Warminster Town Reserves

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