Wiltshire Senior League

Division 1

Saturday 24th August 2024

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.04

Stratton Juniors 1 Bratton 3, attendance 31

14’ 1-0

25’ 1-1

71’ 1-2

90’ + 2, 1-3

@ St. Luke’s Academy

Cricklade Road (A4311)

Penhill

Swindon

SN2 7AS

No Admission or Programme.

With the rain forecast to be heading eastwards, I went west, with the two clubs I hadn’t visited in the Wiltshire Senior League both being at home. I opted for Stratton Juniors (the other being Redhouse), who had finished bottom of the league last season, but avoided relegation. They haven’t started this season much better either, sitting 13th (out of 15) in the league table, having won one and lost four of their games so far and this was already their fifth home league game of the season! Bratton were 7th, looking to improve on last season, when they finished one place outside the promotion places, but came into this having picked up just seven points from their opening five games.

Stratton started the better of the two, going ahead after fourteen minutes. Having been awarded a penalty, the kick was saved, as was the initial follow up, before it was poked in at the third attempt. Bratton levelled midway through the half, when a defender was dispossessed on the edge of the D, resulting in a cool finish into the bottom corner. The visitors were far better second half and it was no surprise to see them go in front with nineteen minutes left, when a ball pulled back across the six yard box was slid in at the far post and they rounded off the scoring in stoppage time, finishing one on one with the ‘keeper, having been played through on goal.

I’d seen Stratton Juniors play at home previously, back in January 2020, when they were based at Meadowcroft Recreation Ground, but they now play at St. Luke’s Academy, on the right hand side of Cricklade Road when heading north out of the town. There is a decent sized car park and a changing room building/tea bar, whilst you go through a metal fence to an adjoining field to find the pitch, which is fully roped. There was one very heavy shower towards the end of the first half, which soon scattered the crowd, but certainly won’t have done the pitch any harm as it looked like it could do with a good watering.