Trowbridge Town FC Reports 2000-2001

Trowbridge Town FC - Last updated - April 6th 2008

 
19th August 2000 -  Trowbridge Town 1 Stratton Crosslink 1

Trowbridge started the new campaign with some key players unavailable but still played well enough to earn a point against the team that finished runners-up in the league last season under the name of Raychem. In fact, on another more fortunate day they may have gained all three points in this closely fought contest. The opening goal came after 23 minutes when Ben Gardener ran onto a pass from Adam Smith and smashed the ball into the top right hand corner from all of 25 yards. Unfortunately the lead only lasted three minutes as Dave Hunt failed to grasp a through ball which fell kindly for a Stratton forward to slot home the equaliser. Most people thought that Dave had been fouled but the referee had other ideas. This actually seemed to be true for the entire game but the less said about that the better! To be fair Stratton finished strongly but this would have been unimportant had earlier events gone our way with the crossbar being grazed twice.

Ben Gardner

  
22nd August 2000 - Warminster Town Reserves 1 Trowbridge Town 1 

Trowbridge drew 1-1 again tonight in another close encounter. This was another game in which all three points could have been taken if the points were allocated on possession alone. Adam Smith ran through to finish well and give Trowbridge the lead but this was cancelled out when slack marking from a free kick allowed a Warminster forward to head in the equaliser before half time. Trowbridge didn't play quite so well in the second half although they probably still had the better share of possession. Despite this Warminster always looked dangerous on the break and we had to settle for a second 1-1 draw in our first season back at senior level.

Adam Smith

  
26th August 2000 - Trowbridge Town 4 Malmesbury Victoria Res 0

Trowbridge chalked up their first league victory of the season, easily sweeping aside Malmesbury who sportingly gave the game all they could. Despite this, the away side nearly took the lead when a one on one opportunity with Chris Vaughan  was wasted buy a Malmesbury forward. The first goal came from Andy Doel, claiming his first goal for the club with a short range header. The second coming very quickly after wards when Neil Kirkpatrick beat the goalkeeper to the ball and headed home to give Trowbridge a 2-0 lead at half time The second half started with a bang when a cross from the right wing was turned in by the unfortunate Neil Witchard who now has the privilege of being the only player to score an OG in our favour. Shortly after this Kirkpatrick added his second with a tap in to complete the 4-0 score line.

Andy Doel

  
31st August 2000 -  Westbury United Res 1 Trowbridge Town 1
Trowbridge started very brightly with a superb chip that hit the top of the crossbar from Andy Doel in the first few minutes. Further pressure gave us a deserved lead on10 minutes when Chris Tricker battled his way past the last defender the slot the ball comfortably past the advancing Westbury goalkeeper. Trowbridge then seemed to fall asleep and allow the home side to come at them and were pleased to remain 1-0 up at half time. The second half was disappointing and the inevitable equaliser came when we conceded a penalty for hand ball.
2nd September 2000 - Trowbridge Town 3 Marlborough Town 2
Trowbridge used their "get out of jail free card" today. With Marlborough 2-0 up at half time many would have written off the possibility of a comeback but when John Taylor came on as substitute in the second half, everything changed. Trowbridge should have taken the lead early on when Neil Kirkpatrick headed wide with only the keeper to beat. The other main chance for Trowbridge in the first half saw Chris Tricker one-on-one with the keeper but unlike Thursday evening Chris failed to slot the ball home. It was Tricker though, that started the comeback with a goal from close range after the ball rebounded from the Marlborough goal keeper. Tricker was involved again with the equaliser crossing the ball to John Taylor who just managed to get the ball first. With time running out Chris Tricker proved it was his day again scoring from close range to turn one point into three. 

Chris Tricker

  

6th September 2000  -  Corsham Town Reserves 1 Trowbridge Town 2

Paul Bendle

 Trowbridge came away with all three points tonight by defeating a Corsham side that included at least four first team players. Having dominated the first half, the travelling supporters were very annoyed when the referee awarded a penalty to Corsham late in the half, adjudging  Wayne Miles to have handled the ball. Wayne was looking in the opposite direction at the time! Justice was done however when Dave Hunt made a fine save to keep the game goalless at half time. At the start of the second half, our injury list continued to grow when Ben Gardner had to be substituted. Trowbridge continued to search for the first goal which came once again from Chris Tricker. An excellent finish into the top corner. Corsham never gave up and the game swung from end to end. The equaliser came from a header, believed to be an own goal although I must confess that I didn't see who's head it was! Trowbridge were not about to settle for a point though, Paul Bendle (who came on as substitute during the second half) exquisitely finishing with a shot deep into the bottom corner of the net. Both Paul & Chris had other chances late in the game and Corsham also hit the bar. All in all, a very entertaining evening..

9th September 2000  -  Aldbourne 1 Trowbridge Town 0

Aldbourne (Picture courtesy of Nigel Vile)

 Trowbridge came away with nothing but further injury worries today in a match they should have definitely won. Possession wise in the first half was mainly Trowbridge although there were not too many clear cut chances created by either side. With the half time score at 0-0 the traveling fans must have expected the possession to turn into goals in the second half.. Unfortunately this was not to be as chances were squandered and Aldbourne played a patient waiting game. About half way through the half the Aldbourne goalkeeper was well beaten only for a defender to clear from the line. With about 15 minutes remaining Aldbourne scored the only goal whilst the away supporters screamed for off-side. It's a shame we can't have action replays at this level. We'll never know who was right will we?
23rd September 2000  -  Cricklade Town 3 Trowbridge Town 2
Perhaps I should have known that this was not going to be a good day when I realised I was traveling to Cricklade without my camera. Hence no pictures!... A score line of 3-2 sounds entertaining but I've seen more exciting 0-0 draws in the pouring rain.. Trowbridge started brightly with Adam Smith doing well down the right wing and took and early lead when Chris "Thierry" Henry latched onto a through ball and finished confidently into the bottom right hand corner. Cricklade equalised later in the first half when an attempted clearance rebounded into the net following a goalmouth scramble. I doubt if  James Richards, the Cricklade forward knew much about it! 

Trowbridge regained their advantage in the second half when Mark Connors headed the ball over the Cricklade keeper. Trowbridge seemed comfortable at this stage but the defence is desperately lacking the experience of Andy Bonser (Injured) and Cricklade squared the game at 2-2, Dave Parker finishing following another goalmouth scramble. Having suffered the disappointment of late equaliser, the traveling fans thought we would at least come away with a point but in the dying minutes of the match, 'keeper Dave Hunt failed to meet a cross Cricklade stole all three points when Ian Ross headed home the winner.
30th September 2000  -  Wroughton 1 Trowbridge Town 1

Chris, Andy, Mark & "Eddie" at half time.

This was a game of two halves, Trowbridge dominated the first half against a very physical Wroughton side but failed to take advantage, hence the half time score of 0-0. The second half started evenly and just as Wroughton appeared top be taking the upper hand and cross was deflected onto the underside of the bar and into the net to give Trowbridge a 1-0 lead. After the goal Trowbridge appeared to try to sit on the lead but always looked threatened when Wroughton attacked. The equaliser came 20 minutes into the second half, a simple side foot finish for the unmarked forward. Just to add to our injury problems, Mark Edwards also came off injured during the second half. Oh well, a point was better than nothing!
7th October 2000  -  Chiseldon Southbrook 4 Trowbridge Town 2

Southbrook avenged their 5-2 home defeat from last season with a confident performance. Chiseldon adopted a very physical approach right from the start and it wasn't long before many flare-up's started to take place. One of these got a little out of hand and Chris Henry together with one player and one official from the home side were given their marching orders by the referee. I don't praise refs very often but I have to say that the game could have become out of control had we have had a weaker man in charge. Back to the football then.  Southbrook took the lead through Stuart Phillips, turning the ball past Chris Vaughan from the edge of the six yard box. All 20 remaining players seemed to trudge of the pitch in silence at half-time. Southbrook played much more controlled and confident football in the second half and deserved their win. They increased their lead to 3-0 before Chris Tricker, always full of running,  pulled one back to make it 3-1. Despite an excellent performance from Chris Vaughan, who made several fine saves in the second half, Chiseldon increased their lead to 4-1, Stuart Phillips competing his hat-trick and Richard Bull having scored one. Chris Tricker scored another consolation goal late on but by now it was all too late.

Chris Vaughan

  
14th October 2000 - Trowbridge Town 0 Devizes Town Reserves 2
Despite the result, this was actually an improved performance from Trowbridge. Devizes nearly took the lead early on when a good shot from 25 yards soared just over. After that Trowbridge settled down and played some decent football and Chris Tricker went on a superb run down the left wing cutting inside to shoot and beat the 'keeper, only to see his shot bounce off the inside of the post. Ten minutes later Devizes also hit the post with the ball fortunately rebounding into the arms of Chris Vaughan. Chris also made a couple of very good saves later in the half which kept the first half goal-less. To be fair the better team controlled the second half and although Trowbridge tried their best it was not a surprise when Mark Strickland gave Devizes the lead. The away side wrapped the game up with a late second and thus completed a deserved win.
21st October 2000 - Trowbridge Town 4 Biddestone 3 (After Extra Time)

Trowbridge proved that league positions mean nothing and pulled off a superb extra time win in this Addkey Senior Cup 2nd Round Match. The match had seven of everything, seven bookings, seven goals and the home crowd in seventh heaven! Biddestone took a tenth minute lead when Steve Healy ran onto a through ball and put the ball through the legs of Town 'keeper Chris Vaughan. Eight minutes later, Adam Smith battled past two defenders and hit a strong shot across Paul Haines, the Biddestone 'keeper to equalise in off the post.  Biddestone regained the lead when unmarked James Lye slotted home just before the half time break. With two thirds of the second half gone Chris Henry drove a cross into the area and Neil Kirkpatrick squared the match with a bullet header. Biddestone once again went in front, James Lye grabbing his second. Trowbridge never gave up though and were awarded a last minute penalty when Chris Henry was bundled over in the box. The ever reliable Kirkpatrick stepped up to take the game into extra time. In the first half of extra time a corner was powerfully headed towards goal by Brent Murden which brought an excellent save from the Biddestone 'keeper. However, John Taylor followed up to put the home side into the lead for the first time in the match. They then had to fight all the way for the remainder of the extra time  to achieve a memorable victory. The game occasionally became nasty with several players retaliating but fortunately everyone was still on the pitch and appeared to be friends at the end.

 

Neil Kirkpatrick

John Taylor

18th November 2000 - Trowbridge Town 1 Corsham Town 5
Trowbridge played their first match since 21st October when they hosted this Senior cup first round tie against Corsham Town. The home side  found it very difficult to find their rhythm against Western League Corsham and it came as no surprise when the visitors took the lead after 17 minutes. Rob Humphries producing the required finish. The first real chance for Trowbridge came after 20 minutes when Andy Doel met a good cross only for the Corsham goalkeeper to save comfortably. Seven minutes later, Chris Henry ran through well and looked certain to net the equaliser but the ball went agonisingly wide of the left hand post. Trowbridge then had Mark Conners dismissed for a second bookable offence making the already difficult task much harder. On the stroke of half time Corsham scored their second through Chris Weekes from close range after a fumble by Chris Vaughan, the Trowbridge Town 'keeper. The second half started brightly when Andy Doel forced an early corner that was easily dealt with by the solid Corsham defence. Corsham went further ahead in the 56th minute through Chris Weekes.  Despite the 3-0 deficit, Trowbridge weren't finished yet and created a number chances most of which were well saved by Craig Chaplin in the Corsham goal. The home supporters finally had something to cheer about in the 62nd minute when Neil Kirkpatrick head home from a corner  to make it 1-3. Any celebrations were short lived though when Corsham wrapped the game up with two late goals. The fourth a fine solo effort by Simon Bray and the final goal by James Griffen.
16th December 2000 - Shrewton United 1 Trowbridge Town 1 

First Half Action

.

Michael 'legs' Little

 The Trowbridge  Town supporters made the journey through the floods to Shrewton for their first league game since 14th October. The wait had been worth it though as the two sides rewarded spectators with an entertaining hard fought but good spirited display. The first half, without doubt belonged to the away side with the first chance coming on eleven minutes. A good cross was headed over the goal keeper and onto the roof of the net by a relieved Shrewton defender. With both sides playing some good football in the heavy conditions it was Trowbridge who took a deserved lead after 17 minutes. The ball was played through to Paul Shanley who crossed for Michael 'legs' Little to turn the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net. A minute later Trowbridge could have extended their lead but Jerad O'Pray unfortunately failed to finish from close range when one-on-one with the 'keeper. The Shrewton equaliser came after 26 minutes, top scorer Dean Foot running into the penalty area and scoring with a good strong shot into the corner of the net. Trowbridge created two more really good chances in the first half. The first was pushed wide by the goalkeeper following a free kick although even he would admit that the ball could have gone anywhere, then with a minute or two of the first half remaining a Shrewton defender cleared the ball off the line to keep the scores level at half time. Shrewton had far more possession in the second half and played football worthy of their second spot in the league. They also had strong claims for a penalty when Tim Waylen appeared to handle in the box. They could not turn the possession into goals though and Trowbridge held on for a well earned and deserved point.
23rd December 2000 - Trowbridge Town 3 Biddestone 1

Trowbridge produced a fine second half display, typical of their recent improved form, to secure maximum points from this league match with Biddestone. They had to come from behind though, Biddestone taking an early lead when a deflected shot from Den Moore drifted past Chris Vaughan and into the bottom corner of the net. The match would have been square three minutes later but the goal from Mike Little was disallowed for off-side. Both sides also hit the crossbar in the first half. The whole Trowbridge team seemed to contribute in the second half as they gathered momentum and raided the Biddestone goalmouth time after time. The equaliser came in the 60th minute when Timmy Waylen's left foot shot screamed into the net from 20 yards following a short pass from Mike Little. Two minutes later, Trowbridge took the lead through Jerad O'Pray, once again Mike Little the provider with a cross from the left. In the 75th minute Little ran past two defenders and chipped the goalkeeper for what would have been the best goal of the game but the ball just stuck in the mud and the beaten goalkeeper was relieved  to pick up the ball. Little was not to be denied though, scoring the final goal from close range, O'Pray returning the earlier favour by being the provider.

Timmy Waylen

13th January 2001 - Stratton Crosslink 1 Trowbridge Town 3

Andy Bloodworth

Trowbridge Town returned to action after another weather enforced break, with a trip to 3rd placed Stratton Crosslink. They returned with all three points and ended Stratton's unbeaten run which stretched back to September, The first chance fell to Stratton after ten minutes but the shot was well wide. The game then settled down and Trowbridge began to gain more possession. Despite this,  the breakthrough came following a Stratton corner after 18 minutes. The ball broke free to Tim Waylen and his long ball picked out Mike Little who ran on past two defenders and finished well with a shot into the left hand bottom corner of the net. The score remained 1-0 at half time and everyone headed for the clubhouse for a warm-up. The second half started evenly and Stratton often played the better football but the determination and work rate of a much improved Trowbridge side proved effective and Andy Bloodworth grabbed his first goal of the season when he broke on the right, ran past the 'keeper and finished strongly. Two minutes later Mike Little who's pace had threatened the Stratton defence all afternoon, scored with a fine volley to make it 3-0. Stratton grabbed a deserved consolation goal in the last ten minutes when Rob Broadbank followed up after a Chris Vaughan save.
27th January 2001 - Trowbridge Town 4 Wroughton 3

Brent Murden

Hat-trick hero Jerad O'Pray

Trowbridge started this match by attacking Wroughton from the off and could have easily scored two or three goals in the first five minutes. Martin Sharkey turned the first effort from Mike Little over the bar and then Tim Waylen also shot with the same result. It was therefore not a surprise when the first goal came from Jerad O'Pray, a superb, unstoppable shot from 25 yards. Shortly afterwards Mike Little also hit the post. The match evened out a little after that until Town Captain Brent Murden scored his first goal of the season. He smashed the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box after the ball was centred by Paul Shanley. Trowbridge then had two further chances, one cleared off the line and another where the Wroughton goalkeeper denied Mike Little by reaching an Andy Doel cross just in time. With about five minutes of the first half remaining, Andy Bloodworth went on a dazzling run and centred for O'Pray to score his second making it 3-0. It now seemed to be a matter of how many but Trowbridge lost Mike Little with a knock on the head and Wroughton pulled a goal back right on half time. The ball fell to Steve Lynch and he made no mistake with just Chris Vaughan to beat. Wroughton started the second half with much more purpose and Trowbridge seemed to lose their way. Wayne Taylor reduced the deficit to one after 54 minutes when he saw Chris Vaughan out of position and expertly scored from long range. The equaliser came three minutes later when Chris Vaughan palmed a hopeful cross into the path of a Wroughton forward who picked out Lee Curtis to head home strongly. Shell shocked Trowbridge had to dig deep for some inspiration and it came on the hour when Jerad O'Pray beat the offside trap, struggled but stayed on his feet and completed his hat trick. Much credit should go to Wroughton in this game. They refused to lie down and die after going three goals behind and even had a goal disallowed because the ball had earlier gone out for a throw in. An entertaining 90 minutes.
17th February 2001 - Purton Reserves 1 Trowbridge Town 3

 

Alan Roberts, Town Manager. (At Purton during a 'quiet moment' of the second half)

Trowbridge Town visited Purton for the first time ever in this entertaining match and came back with all three points. The heavy pitch made flowing football difficult as both sides battled to gain the upper hand in the first half. The first chance came after 12 minutes, Jerad O'Pray controlling a pass from Mark Edwards but the ensuing shot was too high. Trowbridge forced two more corners that came to nothing before taking the lead after 16 minutes. Brent Murden forced the ball over the line after good work from Edwards allowed Mike Little to shoot across goal. Purton nearly squared matters shortly afterwards when Mark Cutter found himself goal side of Neil Kirkpatrick. Fortunately for Trowbridge, Chris Vaughan was equal to Cutter's fine effort and just managed to push the ball round the post. Purton put Trowbridge under pressure as they sought to equalise but nearly fell further behind when O'Pray hit a good shot on the turn. The Purton goalkeeper doing very well to push the shot over the bar and keep the half time score at 1-0.  In the 52nd minute Trowbridge were awarded a free kick, taken by Ben Gardner. The kick ran through to Mike Little who turned and scored with a low shot to make it 2-0. On 65 minutes, Purton pulled a goal back from the penalty spot. Chris Vaughan couldn't get enough on the ball to stop Mark Cutter scoring his fourth goal of the season. Two minutes later, Trowbridge wrapped the game up with their third goal. A superb shot from Edwards was helped on its way by Kirkpatrick,  giving the Purton goalkeeper no chance.
24th February 2001 - Bradford Town 0 Trowbridge Town 1

Ex Trowbridge Town Captain now with Bradford,  leaves the field after the match 

Click this squad picture for a bigger version.

 A crowd of nearly 300 watched this local derby, most of whom came away happy with the result. Unfortunately the match itself was not that memorable. The first half was probably the more entertaining with the visitors providing most of the attacking play. The first chance came on just two minutes, Jerad O'Pray, after having his first shot blocked had a second attempt cleared off the line with the goalkeeper beaten. Bradford had to defend in numbers as the Trowbridge forwards kept the pressure up. The all important goal came after 12 minutes when Mike Little crossed the ball and the unfortunate Fielding headed the ball powerfully past his own goalkeeper. The first chance for Bradford came later as Thompson headed over the bar. After 39 minutes Trowbridge nearly extended their lead, Andy Bloodworth, having an excellent match beat a defender and crossed to the far post. This produced a chance for Mark Edwards who did very well with his header only to see it hit a post. The second half did not really produce much excitement as both sides struggled to play good football on the heavy pitch. Mike Little was then replaced by a lively Adam Smith. With a minute or so remaining Adam was fouled and the ball broke to Jerad O'Pray with just the goalkeeper to beat. Unfortunately the referee failed to play an obvious advantage and angered the Trowbridge supporters by awarding the free kick. Fortunately this had no bearing on the result and the final whistle followed shortly afterwards. Trowbridge deserved the three points, although it was unfortunate to win the match with an own goal. Let's hope the return match in three weeks time is a more entertaining contest.
 3rd March 2001 - Trowbridge Town 1 Cricklade Town 1

Cricklade put pressure on in the second half.

With Trowbridge and Cricklade both on a run of good results a lot was expected of this Addkey Senior Cup tie. The players of both sides gave there all as they battled not just against each other but also to stay on their feet in the heavy conditions. The home side were the first to show as they mounted various attacks in the early stages. The first real chance came in the 14th minute when a corner sailed over the goalkeeper and Kirkpatrick nearly headed Trowbridge in front. Shortly afterwards a superb cross from Edwards allowed Little to head powerfully towards goal. This produced an excellent save from goalkeeper Steve Maggs, pushing the ball round for a corner. Cricklade then wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead, but they failed to hit the target with an almost open goal in sight. After 26 minutes, Trowbridge took the lead, Jerad O'Pray pouncing on a defensive error and calmly sliding the ball past Maggs. In the second half Cricklade began to control the match by keeping possession and playing some good football. In the 66th minute it looked as though they had equalised when Chris Vaughan, the Trowbridge goalkeeper appeared to push a cross into the roof of the net. The 'goal' however, was disallowed because the assistant referee spotted an offside. With 15 minutes of normal time remaining, Cricklade gained their deserved equaliser, Mazzotta capitalising on a defensive mix up. Extra time saw Cricklade dominate possession and although Trowbridge had a couple of chances it was the home side that were the most relieved the hear the final whistle.
10th March 2001 - Marlborough Town 2 Trowbridge Town 3

Paul Shanley (Free Kick King)

Kirky takes over in goal.

Trowbridge won their fourth away match in a row on Saturday when they visited bottom of the table, Marlborough Town. It was no easy ride however, as the home side chased and challenged every ball with the wind at their backs in the first half. The first chance fell the Marlborough after just two minutes. A mistake by Ben Gardner allowed Sly to gain possession. His cross was met by Crease who failed to take the opportunity by screwing his shot wide. Trowbridge failed to create a chance until the fortieth minute. A long clearance from Mark Edwards was picked up by Adam Smith. Using his pace, Adam made his way past two defenders and his deflected cross sat up nicely allowing Mike Little to steer the ball onto the net. Marlborough almost equalised immediately, the ball bouncing off a post into the arms of Chris Vaughan. Ten minutes into the second half, a free kick from Paul Shanley found it's way past everyone waiting in the penalty area and nestled itself into the bottom left corner of the net to make the score 2-0. Two minutes later, Mick Dobson found some room on the left and pulled a goal back for Marlborough with a good left foot finish. With three minutes remaining Adam Smith was fouled on the edge of the area and the resultant free kick coming in from the left was met by Tim Waylen to make it 3-1. In the last minute of the match, the referee played on when Saunderson was clearly fouled. Chris Vaughan was then injured as he turned the ball onto the crossbar and Steve Dene followed up to score a second for Marlborough. Trowbridge defender Neil Kirkpatrick had to take over goalkeeping responsibilities during injury time and was naturally pleased to keep a clean sheet!
27th March 2001 - Devizes Town 1 Trowbridge Town 0

First half action.

This match was played in constant rain and credit should be given to both sides for producing an entertaining match. Trowbridge were superb as they faced a "reserve" team containing no less than nine first team players and but for injury time nearly came away with a point. The first chance fell to Devizes after just two minutes when a player was fouled just outside the edge of the area but nothing came from the resultant free kick After 10 minutes Trowbridge were awarded a corner and nearly took the lead. A fine header from Mike Little beat the 'keeper but was cleared off the line by a defender. In the second half, Devizes had more possession but Trowbridge did not intend to be second best as they soaked up pressure and were dangerous on the break. Devizes nearly scored in the 55th minute but Chris Vaughan did well to parry a shot. In fact this was one of many fine saves by Chris who was my man of the match. It should be stated though, that all the players were stars tonight. If Trowbridge had gained a point from this match, they would have deserved it for effort alone. Unfortunately, this  was not to be. In the 5th minute of injury time the ball broke to a Devizes forward on the right hand side and the unstoppable shot from all of thirty yards found the bottom corner. The other disappointment of the evening was that Mike Little suffered a nasty ankle injury.  Despite the result the Trowbridge team were given a standing ovation as they left the pitch.
31st March 2001 - Cricklade Town 4 Trowbridge Town 0

Jerad, followed by Adam, just before the 2nd half

Trowbridge Town made their exit from the Addkey Senior Cup on Saturday, losing 4-0 in this quarter final replay. They were without Mike Little who will now miss the rest of the season after fracturing a leg against league leaders Devizes on Tuesday. Tempers flared in the early stages and the referee appeared to be losing control. Fortunately, both teams settled down and tried to concentrate on playing football. The first real chances of the game came halfway through the first half. Both goalkeepers making good saves when the opening goal looked likely. In the 24th minute Adam Smith reached the ball just before Maggs, the Cricklade goalkeeper, but his shot trickled past the post. From the resultant goal kick Jarad O'Pray nipped in to intercept as a defender headed the ball back towards the 'keeper but Maggs again saved well. Cricklade's first goal came after 27 minutres, Chris Vaughan made a good stop from Jamie Richards but the ball ran to Steve Avenall who drilled his shot into the net. Just before the break, Trowbridge had a shot cleared off the line. These missed chances by Trowbridge in the first half proved to be their downfall. As they pushed forward  in the second half looking for the equaliser, Cricklade always looked likely to score on the break and did just that when Richards slotted in the second goal after a fumble from Chris Vaughan. The game was now over and Cricklade added two more goals through Mazotta and York. The latter being the best goal of the match. Cricklade deserved the win but 4-0 was probably a bit harsh.
 3rd April 2001 - Biddestone FC 2 Trowbridge Town 3

Ian Diamond

 With Chris Vaughan injured Trowbridge Town were forced to field veteran goalkeeper Ian Diamond for this entertaining league match at Biddestone. Ian was called in to action early on when he made an excellent save, diving to his right to turn a shot past the post. Both sides tried their best to create chances in the first half, Adam Smith shooting wide before Biddesone opened the scoring after 24 minutes. A fierce shot by James Lye from 20 yards flew into the top corner with Ian Diamond rooted to the spot. Neil Kirkpatrick squared the match from the penalty spot after 32 minutes, although he had to take the kick twice due to an encroachment. The score remained 1-1 at half-time, Biddestone having hit the crossbar with a header in the latter stages. In the first minute of the second half Trowbridge went in front 2-1. Neat play by Mark Edwards found Chris Henry in front of goal and his shot just had enough pace on it to creep into the corner of the goal. Biddestone drew level after 50 minutes with a fine free kick from Spencer Clifford. The winning goal came after 70 minutes and was well worth waiting for. Mark Edwards ran down the left wing, found Adam Smith with a pin point cross and the recipient made no mistake with a strong header into the top right corner.

7th April 2001 - Trowbridge Town 0 Pewsey Vale Reserves 0

This match could easily be summed up in one sentence. Pewsey came for a point, and got one! There were chances early on for  Trowbridge with headers from Edwards and O'Pray missing the target. The remainder of the half saw Trowbridge camped in the Pewsey half of the field but despite all the pressure they could not seem to get a shot or a header on target. With persistent rain during the whole match the home supporters were looking for something to cheer about and hoped for better luck in the second half. Unfortunately, it was pretty much the same story, rain and missed Trowbridge opportunities plus the occasional worry when Pewsey counterattacked. The only chance for Pewsey came after six minutes of the second half when Chris Vaughan turned a scooped shot towards goal over the bar. Jerad O'Pray did manage to get the ball on target after 52 minutes but his header was cleared off the line with the goalkeeper beaten. There were also chances for Adam Smith who taunted the Pewsey defence all through the match but there was to be no finishing touch. The highlight of the match was when Smith "Nutmegged" Garrett, the Pewsey Captain and forced a corner. Garrett was clearly impressed by the young strikers cheeky piece of skill and made a point of shaking hands with him. A nice touch in an otherwise uneventful very wet football match.

10th April 2001 - Trowbridge Town 1 Corsham Town Reserves 0

Second half goalmouth action.

The first half of this match resembled the performance on Saturday. Trowbridge had 95% possession but could not turn it into goals. The best move in the first half came on 30 minutes. A good ball from Jerad O'Pray found Chris Henry who cut the ball back to Tim Waylen. Unfortunately Tim smashed his shot against the crossbar. Shortly afterwards, Ben Gardner shot straight into the goalkeepers arms and the match remained goalless at half time. The second half was quite uneventful until 10 minutes from time. Substitute Neil Kirkpatrick managed to head the only goal of the game from a cross by Mark Connors. The ball just about going inside the left post. With the match against Bradford just two days away, Trowbridge took the opportunity to use 16 year old Walead Bakali as the other substitute. The youngster did well on his debut, he competed well and was unfortunate to get caught offside in the latter stages of the game, just mistiming his run onto a good through ball.

12th April 2001 - Trowbridge Town 3 Bradford Town 1

The match we have all been waiting for turned into a good one and there was a decent crowd to witness it despite the early midweek kick off. The first chance for Trowbridge came after just five minutes, Chris Henry knocked the ball back for Mark Edwards to cross but Jerad O'Pray headed into the arms of the goalkeeper. After 26 minutes Bradford were awarded a free kick and Burr took it quickly catching Chris Vaughan out of position to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Bradford nearly extended their lead on the half hour but Vaughan saved well with his legs. The game then changed dramatically as Trowbridge stepped up a gear. The equaliser coming after 32 minutes, Neil Kirkpatrick looping  a header into the opposite corner from a Paul Shanley free kick. Three minutes later Trowbridge took the lead, Chris Henry beat the offside trap, latched onto a ball from Ben Gardner and provided the required finish. Henry was also involved in the third goal, doing really well to win a ball on the left wing, then crossing for Jerad O'Pray to make it 3-1 at half time. In the  second half, Bradford saw one chance drop just over the crossbar but other than that most of the chances were created by Trowbridge. Andy Bloodworth created havoc down the right wing and Waylen, Connors and O'Pray all came close in their attempts to increase the lead. Manager Alan Roberts (pictured) was naturally very pleased with the result which completed the league double over Bradford and also helped to consolidate our 6th position in the league.

14th April 2001 - Trowbridge Town 4 Purton Reserves 1

Andy Bonser (above) and Lee Wilson (below). Experience and Youth bringing success.

Having already beaten local rivals Bradford Town 3-1 on Thursday. Trowbridge went one better on Saturday by winning 4-1 against Purton Reserves. Once again they came from behind, Rob Smith giving the visitors the lead when he ran through and slotted the ball past Chris Vaughan after 10 minutes. This was against the run of play and with the attacks mounted by Trowbridge it was only a matter of time before they opened their account. The breakthrough nearly came in the 25th minute; Andy Bloodworth's curling cross was touched onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Dean Haines. The equaliser came on 40 minutes when Andy Doel scored from close range following a Chris Henry corner. Just before half time, the ever-reliable Neil Kirkpatrick gave Trowbridge the lead from inside the box. In the second half Trowbridge piled on the pressure and it was therefore no surprise when they went further ahead after 52 minutes. Andy Bonser reacting extremely quickly to pounce when Dean Haines allowed a Chris Henry cross to spill from his grasp. Chris Henry wrapped up the scoring after 63 minutes with a typical run and finish after beating the off side trap. This comfortable lead allowed manager Alan Roberts to introduce youngsters Daniel Barnes and Walead Bakali who both did well. This was Bakali's second opportunity as substitute and he very nearly scored but a defender blocked his shot. With youngster Lee Wilson playing the full 90 minutes, this mixture of youth and experience is proving to be invaluable with so many of Town's regular players unavailable due to injury.

19th April 2001 - Trowbridge Town 1 Melksham Town Reserves 0

Gordon Saunderson

(Sorry about the quality, the sun was in the wrong place!)

There were very few chances in this closely fought contest with Melksham Town Reserves. In the main it was the defences who won the day with Gordon Saunderson putting in a typically solid performance at the back for the home side...Neil Kirkpatrick found the back of the net after ten minutes but the goal was ruled out for offside. The two sides then cancelled each other out and there were very few chances until the 34th minute. Ex Trowbridge Town player, Matty Bown striking a superb volley over the bar. In the second half, Trowbridge had an early opportunity when Tim Waylen was obstructed and they were awarded an indirect free kick inside the area. Unfortunately the resultant free kick hit the wall and came to nothing. In the 62 minute, it was Melksham's turn to be disappointed with a disallowed goal; again this was an offside decision. With the game looking likely to end in a 0-0 draw there were two snippets of excitement near the end. With six minutes to go Chris Vaughan made a fine save and a minute later Adam Smith grabbed the points for Trowbridge. He first, blocked a clearance, reacted quickly to get to ball before Nick Evans, the Melksham 'keeper and then slotted the ball home to the delight of home fans. Final note, the players had to contend with the sun in their eyes. After all the rain, this certainly made a change!

21st April 2001 - Trowbridge Town 0 Aldbourne 0

Trowbridge attack from a corner in the second half.

Chris Tricker returned to the Trowbridge Town forward line on Saturday but was unable to break the deadlock in a match that was very forgettable in footballing terms. There were chances for both sides however. The first after nine minutes when a through ball from Lee Wilson found Tricker but his shot came to nothing. A few minutes later, Chris Henry saw a half volley pushed round for a corner. Aldbourne then had their first chance saved by Chris Vaughan.  The best move of the first half came when Neil Kirkpatrick knocked a ball down the line for Chris Henry who's cross was headed by Tricker as it bounced up, but it went wide. There we a number of chances created by both sides in the second half. At one end, most of the Trowbridge efforts were off target and at the other; Chris Vaughan was at his best to deny Aldbourne. On one occasion, Chris had to adjust very quickly to push the ball for a corner as it bounced up sharply on a divot. Unfortunately this match will be remembered for a nasty second half incident. Tim Waylen could easily have been booked for a high challenge but the retaliation from Colin Hughes was unforgivable. He reacted by kicking Waylen between the legs from behind and to everyone's amazement the referee allowed Hughes to stay on the pitch, with just a caution. Waylen recovered to play on but was booked shortly afterwards and subsequently substituted. A totally unnecessary event that could have been avoided, had the correct action been taken by the referee.

28th April 2001 - Pewsey Vale Reserves 1 Trowbridge Town 1

Ted Miluk

Trowbridge were so short of players for this match that the substitutes were Alan Roberts and Ted Miluk from the management plus Goalkeeping Coach, Ian Diamond! In the first half Trowbridge struggled to find any rhythm and Pewsey consistently looked dangerous particularly when threatening on the right wing. Fortunately, Pewsey were unable to capitalise on their superiority and were limited to just the one goal scored by Chris Oram in the latter stages of the first half. There was also a real let off when an attempted clearance by Neil Kirkpatrick crashed against his own crossbar. The second half saw Trowbridge with far more possession and attacking play and they pushed forward more looking for the equaliser. Pewsey looked quite comfortable at the back though and nearly increased their lead when a vicious shot from all of 35 yards  was pushed over the bar by Chris Vaughan. Trowbridge then lost Lee Wilson through injury and brought on 48 year old Ted Miluk to play his first competitive match in over 11 years. Alan Roberts pushed Neil Kirkpatrick up front and Miluk used his experience to play a good midfield role, providing  some excellent through balls to the front runners. The all important equaliser came from a goalkeeping error. A free kick was lofted forward by Gordon Saunderson and the goalkeeper looked as if he would take an easy catch.  However, the ball slipped his grasp and bounced up in front of goal for Tim Waylen to head into the empty net.

1st  May 2001 Trowbridge Town 2 Cricklade 1

Chris Tricker & Chris Henry

Trowbridge Town avenged their cup defeat by taking all three points from Cricklade in a very entertaining match. Cricklade needed to win the game to keep the pressure on the league leaders and were the better team in the first half. They nearly took the lead after 15 minutes when a shot rebounded from a post and were to repeat this feat eight minutes later. In between these let offs Trowbridge did attack but looked less likely to open their account. After 36 minutes, Cricklade took the lead, the ball broke on the left side of the penalty area and Pete Yorke beat Chris Vaughan with a well-placed shot. In the dying minutes of the first half Trowbridge drew level, Chris Henry beat a defender on the left wing and his shot across goal squirmed under the goalkeeper’s arms and over the line. In the second half Cricklade were once again denied by the crossbar (twice) but were also caught at the back on numerous occasions with passes up to Chris Tricker. Chris had a number of runs into the penalty area but could not quite finish and was beginning to get frustrated. On one occasion he beat the defender, shot well and was denied by a very good save. With about 5 minutes of the match remaining Chris claimed the goal he deserved, a cross from the right found it's way across the area, past Tim Waylen and he was waiting at the back post to provide the finishing touch into the roof of the net.

8th  May 2001 Melksham Town Reserves 0 Trowbridge Town 2

Paul Shanley

Trowbridge became the first team to defeat Melksham Town Reserves on their own ground this season with a good team performance. They took an early lead in the 6th minute, Chris Tricker beating a defender and lobbing the goalkeeper who had committed himself far too early. They doubled their lead in the 15th minute, Andy Bloodworth, provided an excellent cross from the right wing to the far post and Paul Shanley, made no mistake with a powerful header. Melksham nearly pulled a goal back in the 40th minute but an effort from close range went just over the bar when it probably easier to score than miss. In the second half, Melksham dominated by attacking but could not break down a confident Trowbridge defence. Bonser, Kirkpatrick and particularly Murden were all very solid. Melksham did create a clear chance after 70 minutes when a close range header from Bramley tested the reflexes of Chris Vaughan. With only 5 minutes remaining Chris Henry should have grabbed a third for Trowbridge. He received a good pass from Mark Conners, did really well to beat a defender but his shot went straight into the goalkeepers' arms.

10th  May 2001 Trowbridge Town 1 Warminster Town Reserves 1 (Played at warminster)

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Paul Bendell with a second half throw-in

Despite being under pressure for most of the time, Trowbridge never gave up in this match and as a result grabbed a point in the second half. Warminster played the better football for much of the first half and Trowbridge were limited to just a few decent attacking opportunities. The first of these came from Chris Tricker after 18 minutes earning a corner when he forced the goalkeeper into a good save after beating a defender. Warminster then had one or two chances saved by Chris Vaughan. The home team finally took the lead late in the first half when Walead Bakali slipped at the back and a rare mistake by Vaughan allowed the ball to run to Gary Lewis who finished well. The second half was a little better from Trowbridge but still far short of their recent form. Warminster nearly wrapped the game up in the 77th minute but Vaughan did well saving with his feet. A few minutes earlier,Mark Conners had his leg taken away in the area and when the referee gave nothing it looked as if a first league defeat since the end of March was likely. . Substitute Paul Bendell had other ideas though striking a fine shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net with 8 minutes remaining.

12th  May 2001 Trowbridge Town 2 Chiseldon Southbrook 0

Andy O'Pray

A good crowd on a nice sunny day saw Trowbridge Town gain all three points  in a match that provided some good entertainment with none of the nastiness that was witnessed in the respective away match earlier in the season. Trowbridge made a good bright start and took the lead on 10 minutes, Andy Doel crossing for Chris Henry to head the ball past goalkeeper Churchwood. Seven minutes later they nearly increased their lead when Chris Tricker provided a good cross and Tim Waylen went close with a header. Chisledon also had their moments in the first half, one shot going straight into the arms of Chris Vaughan and later Chip Phillips had his effort saved by Vaughan's body. Trowbridge increased their lead after 55 minutes. Some good play by Andy Bloodworth on the touchline gave possession to Chris Tricker who's cross was met by Henry to claim his second headed goal of the match. Chisledon played some good football throughout the match but did not look as dangerous as the home side when they attacked. Chip Phillips came closest to pulling a goal back when he saw his shot go just wide of the post. With 13 minutes remaining Mark Conners nearly made it three for Trowbridge when he ran into the area from the left and shot across goal but a defender manager to get the ball away for a corner.  Congratulations to Andy O'Pray who, as caretaker manager retained his unbeaten run whilst Alan Roberts is away on holiday

15th  May 2001 Malmesbury Victoria Reserves 2 Trowbridge Town 1

Trowbridge started this match having gone 12 matches unbeaten. Unfortunately it turned out to be unlucky 13 as they squandered early opportunities and then found themselves chasing the game. The first chance came after only five minutes, Paul Shanley heading over the bar. Malmesbury had one good effort saved by Chris Vaughan but should have gone behind after 20 minutes. The goalkeeper fumbled a shot from Chris Tricker but recovered to force a corner as Andy Doel tried to score from the loose ball. After 25 minutes, Brent Murden headed against the crossbar and the ball bounced down and back to him but his second attempt was off target. Four minutes later, against the run of play Garth Walsh attempted a cross into the Trowbridge area but it sailed over Chris Vaughan and into the net to give Malmesbury a shock lead. Trowbridge started the second half well but failed to take advantage of their supremacy. After the 55th minute, Chris Tricker shot straight into the keepers’ arms and then almost immediately found himself with another opportunity. This time the ball bounced up invitingly and Chris squared the match by heading the ball over the advancing goalkeeper. Trowbridge then pushed forward looking for the win but moves seemed to break down at the vital moment. Tricker set up a chance for substitute, Daniel Barnes who's header went just over. Tim Waylen also struck a good shot that was saved by the goalkeeper. Unfortunately, these missed chances proved costly and as Trowbridge pushed forward they often found themselves short on numbers at the back. This led to the the winning goal, five minutes from time, Reg Vizard found some space on the right hand side and beat Chris Vaughan with a good shot. Malmesbury also hit the post in the dying minutes as Trowbridge threw everyone forward trying to salvage a point. It was just one of those nights!

19th May 2001 -  Trowbridge Town 1 Westbury United Reserves 1

Trowbridge had to settle for a draw in their final match of the season. A good crowd turned up hoping for a good win and a possible final league position of 4th. Instead, they saw Trowbridge miss a number of opportunities and a Westbury side that left the pitch as if they had won having stolen a point in injury time. The first real opportunity for the home side came on 18 minutes, Mark Conners finding the back of the net but being adjudged offside. Chris Vaughan was called into action once or twice but the home side looked far more likely to break the deadlock. Andy Doel saw goalkeeper, Bean off his line after 37 minutes and expertly tried a lob which looked goalward bound, Bean did very well though, and palmed the ball away for a corner. Just before half time Chris Tricker was on the end of a Kirkpatrick free kick but the ball rebounded off his knee straight into the arms of Bean. The long awaited opening goal came just before the half time whistle. Andy Doel received a pass from Andy Bloodworth and his cross just about made it's way to Chris Henry on the edge of the box. Henry controlled the ball well and scored with a good shot into the opposite corner. In the second half Trowbridge dominated but could not extend their lead. Bean, having a excellent game for Westbury denied Bloodworth after just three minutes, they also had a goal by Brent Murden disallowed, again for offside after 58 minutes. Later, Chris Tricker and Tim Waylen also had shots saved by goalkeeper Bean. With time running out, it looked as if one goal would be enough but in the second minute of injury time, Stuart Neal found some space on the right and finished well to beat player of the year Chris Vaughan with a good shot.

 

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