The Wiltshire Premier Shield Semi-Final’s are upon us once more but this 1st leg will be considered reasonably important due to the fixture-less weekend Town experienced last Saturday.
Danny Wilson says…
With no fixture played last weekend this Wiltshire Premier Shield encounter has become crucial in Danny Wilson’s preparation for the trip to Carlisle United this coming Saturday.
Salisbury City Team News:
Talking to the official Swindon Town website Wilson stated that he will send ‘a decent out because we’ve got about ten days without a game and there are some players who need to be playing.’
Talking on the official SCFC website Salisbury City boss Tommy Widdrington has also indicated that he will field some first team players along with some ‘of the lads who didn’t get a game on Saturday at Eastbourne might start, but I’ve told the lads it’s our next first team fixture.’
Player to watch: Matt Tubbs & Chris Flood
If selected, the prolific locally born forward would cause the Town defence some difficulties. League clubs have followed the progress of the former Bolton Wanderers youth player.
Young midfielder Chris Flood has enjoyed a good debut season in the Blue Square Premier with five goals so far this season including last weekends last gasp winner against Eastbourne Borough.
Swindon Town Team News:
Alan O’Brien is on the brink of a return to action but Danny Wilson has stated that he won’t risk the midfielder for this tie – the same applies to Lloyd Macklin.
Mark Marshall, Sean Morrison and Mark Scott are all out on loan to Hereford, Southend and Chippenham Town respectively.
Fringe players such as Craig Easton, Charlie Austin, Jekub Jesionkowski and Nathan Thompson should all feature.
Player to watch: Charlie Austin
An ideal 90 minute run-out for the forward as he edges ever closer to a Swindon Town start in the league.
Match Facts & Stats
These two clubs have one fully competitive fixture and that came during the 1967/68 season in the FA Cup – Pat Terry grabbed a hat-trick in Town’s 4-0 win at the County Ground (Willie Penman got the other).
However, since Salisbury’s rise up the Non-League system – and the changing of the Wiltshire Premier Shield so that only Swindon, Salisbury, Chippenham and Supermarine take part – the two sides have met in this competition regularly in recent seasons.
WPS FINAL 2008
Salisbury City 1-0 Swindon Town
A strike fron (then) Luton Town loanee Rob Sinclair was enough for Salisbury to claim the Wiltshire Premier Shield. Sinclair later joined City on a full-time basis.
SCFC: James Bittner, Craig Richards, Tim Bond, Joe Fisher, Oli Barnes, Liam Feeney (Chris Weedon), Mike Fowler, Ian Herring (Andy Sandell), Rob Sinclair, Marvin Brown, Nick Eastham.
SNU: Aaron Cook, Wayne Turk, Matt Tubbs.
STFC: Phil Smith, Tom Evans, Pat Kanyuka, Ady Williams (Chris Blackburn (Nathan Thompson)), Andy Nicholas, Kaid Mohamed, Michael Pook, Kurt Hammonds, Sofi Zaaboub (Chris Allen), Bewn Joyce, Billy Paynter.
SNU: Jamie Taylor, Mark Scott.
A couple of months later Town visited Salisbury again for a pre-season friendly and were again beaten this time 2-0 with goals Djoumin Sangere and Jamal Easter – Town included trialist and now Newcastle United favourite Nile Ranger.
SCFC: James Bittner, Jon Bass, Ronnie Bull, Aaron Cook, Djoumin Sangere, Ian Herring, Brian Dutton, Darrell Clarke, Robbie Matthews, Matt Tubbs, Andy Sandell.
Subs Used: Tim Bond, Michael Briscoe, Matt Robinson, Liam Feeney, Jamal Easter, Charlie Griffin, Wayne Turk, Jon Davies, Scott Bartlett.
STFC: Phil Smith, John Hills, Hasney Aljofree, Sean Morrison, Jack Smith, Blair Sturrock, Michael Pook, Sam Morris, Lloyd Macklin, Nile Ranger (Jake Hyde), Ben Joyce.
SNU: Jamie Vincent, Tom Evans, Kurt Hammonds, Peter Brezovan.
Match Prediction:
2-1 to somebody!
Next Fixture:
Town travel all the way to Cumbria to face Carlisle United.
