Top flight leaders Westbury Rangers A travelled to AFC Melksham having won six on the bounce against and expecting to take the spoils against a Melksham side that had showed potential in their opening five matches without really finding the magic formula.
But against Rangers things finally clicked and Mike Rogers' side claimed an unexpected but deserved win.
Melksham, with the wind against them, opted to play with three strikers and they were rewarded as they took the lead. After some excellent possession football, Ashley Fletcher latched on to a through ball from Jack Morris and stroked it passed the advancing Westbury keeper Lee Whitehead to make it 1-0.
Westbury raised their game and got back on level terms when Dave Whyte took advantage of some unusually sloppy defending and drove home a shot from the edge of the area.
Back came Melksham with some quality play between Graham Griffiths, Brett Partner and Fletcher, as the home team created chance after chance until a sweet pass from Griffiths found the feet of Dan Barnett, who drove home to put Melksham 2-1 up.
Westbury restored parity when they took advantage of a sliced clearance from the home defence, which fell to Kieron Kiff, who hit a lovely low curving shot beyond the unsighted keeper Rob Brown.
The second half belonged to Melksham as they played with the wind and at times tore the visitors' defence apart. Dan Barnett capped a man-of-the-match performance with his second and the points were wrapped up when Ian Dowell hit a 25-yard left-footed screamer, and despite the odd attack from the visitors bossed the rest of the game.
Bug & Spider 7 AFC Bell 1
Calne-based Bug & Spider claimed a third straight win over AFC Bell, who were unable to end the hoodoo that Marcus Lovesey’s side appear to have over them.
Bug & Spider, who as Bremhill View Social Club beat Bell twice last term, got off to the best possible start and were two goals to the good after 10 minutes with Mark Dolman and Mark Smith scoring. Jonathan Couch pulled a goal back for the Bell but a second of the morning from Smith gave the Bug back their two-goal cushion.
The second half saw Bug & Spider take control as they added four more goals - Dolman made it 4-1 with his second of the game. Pete Thornton bagged his first of the season for 5-1, a third from Dolman saw him complete a deserved hat trick and the scoring was finished off by Liam Brown who, after numerous chances, finally plated one into the net to seal the host's comprehensive 7-1 success.
FC Bradford 4 Winsley 2
FC Bradford may have been a little disheartened after they lost two points and 18 goals following the recent withdrawal of Bradford News from the league, but their 4-2 victory over near neighbours Winsley lifted some of the gloom around Poulton as it took Pete Collier’s side to the top of the table ahead of Westbury Rangers A on goal difference.
Dan Fowler gave Bradford the lead, which they looked have thrown away when Dean Ranger put the ball in the net for Winsley but his effort was ruled out for offside. A second from Dan Fowler put the hosts 2-1 up at half time but shortly after the break, Winsley forced an opening and Neil Hannaford reduced the deficit.
Winsley’s joy was short lived as Charlie Powell put Bradford 3-1 in front and when Steve Bryant made it 4-1 with his first of the season, the points were wrapped up.
There was still time left for Joe Kirkpatrick to bag a late consolation for Paul Ranger’s side with his first ever goal for the villagers. Semington Rovers 2 Biddestone Social 8
Semington Rovers suffered a ninth successive defeat at the hands of defending champions Biddestone Social, who were in cruise control as they coasted to an 8-2 away to Allan Clarke’s Semington side, who have managed just one point from their eight games to date.
Biddestone’s player-manager Dan Lardner put his team in front on six minutes when he scored direct from a corner. Gary Banks doubled Biddestone’s lead on 14 minutes when he calmly round the hosts keeper and rolled the ball into the empty net after being put through by Nat Auckland. Auckland himself made it 3-0 when he fired home on 17 minutes.
Dave Thompson netted his first goal for the Biddy boys on 35 minutes when he hit the target from 14 yards and Lardner, who had started the first half scoring, finished it when he made it 5-0 on the stroke of half time - Lardner received a great pass from Auckland and beat three players before seeing his shot that hit the post roll over the line.
Biddestone scored immediately after the restart, with Auckland scoring his second of the game with a fantastic finish into the top corner. Semington conjured up a consolation on 52 minutes with Sam Malone scoring with a tidy finish. Five minutes later, Dan King fired home a Kieran Baggs cross and shortly afterwards, King found the net again with a shot from 12 yards.
Semington may have been 8-1 down but had the final say when Danny Rimmer added a second for the hosts with a cool finish in the final minute.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here