A WEEK after they lost a Knockout Cup penalty shootout against AFC Bradley, Mark Hurkett was looking for an immediate response from his Trowbridge Wanderers Reserves outfit when the teams met in Division Two.

Wanderers, who were close to postponing the match due to a shortage of players, will be glad they didn’t as they battled their way to a 5-3 win.

Bradley trailed 3-0 after 30 minutes to a Mark Maguire treble, but they managed to claw a goal back when Dan Mercer curled home a long range effort to give them a lifeline.

Wanderers were caught sleeping in the second half as a fired up Bradley side drew level thanks to a double from Elliott Blanks. Nick Gleeson regained the lead for Wanderers and with Bradley pushing for an equaliser they threw keeper Stuart Powell up front at a corner .

It allowed Wanderers to break clear and put the game to bed, Ashley Styles scoring to make it 5-3.

Calne Eagles continued their promising league form with a 5-2 win over battling Zeals, who themselves have been enjoying a greatly improved upturn in form this season.

Calne had the best possible start after only five minutes when a long throw from Jordan Winter cleared several defenders and found Adam Welch who scored from five yards out.

Welch was once again on the spot after 15 minutes when he tapped in from close range following great work from his tireless strike partner Mickey Taraskevics.

Zeals rallied and were unlucky when Martin Hodges twice hit the crossbar with shots from distance. However, Zeals did pull a goal back after 29 minutes when Scott Talbot fired home from close range after Calne failed to deal with a long throw into the box.

Almost straight away Calne restored their two-goal advantage when a cross from an impossible angle by Danny Heap beat keeper Martyn Hodges at his front post.

In the second half the game became very scrappy with neither team managing to pass the ball particularly well.

Zeals pulled a goal back with a Bradley Carter shot from outside the box to make the score 3-2. But as in the first half, Calne hit back when Adam Welch skilfully directed Karl Sharratt’s cross past Martyn Hodges in goal.

Hodges also made a serious of impressive saves to deny Mickey Taraskevics twice, as well as Adam Welch and Jordan Winter.

However, Calne did finally kill off the contest with 10 minutes remaining when Adam Welch intercepted a back pass to round Martyn Hodges for his fourth goal of the game and his 18th of the season.

In the final minutes a great tackle from Calne’s impressive teenage centre back Matt Bowery denied Joao Rodrigues another chance to add to his own impressive goals tally.

Leaders Westbury Town extended their winning run to six matches thanks to a 3-1 win away at Luxol St Andrews Reserves.

Natti Morgan’s opener for Luxol put them in front for less than a minute as, from the kick off, Westbury saw Ryan Earny bag their equaliser.

Ryan Earny restored Westbury lead in the second half and a first goal of the season from Nick Mead sealed victory for Jason Edwards side.

Basement side The Stiffs took a fifth-minute lead at home to Melksham Town A and for the first 45 minutes they were giving Barry Holloway’s side a decent game as they trailed 4-2.

But the second half saw them run out of steam as Melksham ran out 8-3 winners. Conor Green’s opener for Stiffs was cancelled out by Jake Sainsbury.

Goals from James Dark and Jake Cooper then put 3-1 up before Matt Hall scored a penalty to reduce the deficit for the Stiffs who conceded a fourth prior half time, a second for Sainsbury making it 4-2.

Will Jacomb made it 5-2 and a third from Sainsbury took it to 6-2 before Steve Lewin bagged Stiffs third. James Dark’s penalty gave him his second of the game and the scoring was completed by Sainsbury who took his personal tally for the game to four.

United FC and Aces Reserves FC met at Clarendon Academy looking for their first win of the season and it was United who claimed it courtesy of a 4-2 success.

Aces started well and took the lead through Graham Farr, United grew stronger as the game progress and level matters with Krzysztof Kopacz scoring.

Pawel Wisniewski scored for United prior to half time but almost immediately after the restart Ryan Mortimer rolled back the years as he got Aces back on level terms.

United regained the lead thanks to a stunning free kick from Lukasz Bareja, the teams usual keeper rifled home a stunner into the top corner to make it 3-2 and it was left to super sub, Josef Zatatozny to complete matters with his team's fourth of the day.