CRICKLADE Town marked their return to the Wiltshire Senior League with a 7-1 destruction of Bromham.

Ben Carter, who was the record goalscorer for Cricklade before they folded in 2013, didn’t take long to get himself off the mark this term as he found the net inside the opening 10 seconds.

Carter went on to record his hat-trick, with former Shrivenham player-manager Sam Collier, who was playing Southern League football at Wantage Town last year, adding a brace, one of which came from the penalty spot, while Gio Wrona, who was also at Wantage last season, and James Archer also notched.

Bromham were able to grab a consolation goal from a corner but that didn’t dampen an important afternoon for boss Luke Alford’s side.

“We couldn’t ask for a better start,” he said. “We got pre-season out of the way, which was a bit of a task, but now we have a settled 16 or 17 players and we have got quite a few signed on, which we will need over the season.

“We have managed to sign a lot of players from a higher standard because it is a lot easier for guys to commit to us.

“We were 1-0 up after 10 seconds and four up after 10 minutes and from then on, we just kept the ball and kept our discipline and played some really good football.

“There isn’t much you can say to the team after a win like that except to move onto the next game and concentrate on that.

“We have just got to focus on ourselves. We have got a side who should finish high up the table.”

Cricklade play host to Royal Wootton Bassett Town Reserves on Tuesday evening, who played out a 0-0 draw away to Corsham Town Reserves on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Marlborough Town were 5-1 victors at home to Malmesbury Victoria Development and Lydiard Millicent were on the wrong end of 11-goal game with Wilts Calne Town as they fell to a 6-5 defeat.

A brace from Glenn Armstrong saw Wroughton beat Devizes Town Reserves 2-0, while last season’s champions Trowbridge Town started the defence of their crown with a 5-0 win at home to Pewsey Vale Development.