CHIPPENHAM Park chief Dave Ferris thinks his side had been threatening to put a side to the sword for a long time.

Park thrashed local rivals Devizes Town on Tuesday evening, with Mark Robinson netting early on before Luke Murden cracked a free-kick into the top corner.

Phil Baker volleyed home from 20 yards and Dan Price’s header made it 4-0 before half-time, with Devizes’ Kris Beasley netting a consolation goal after the break.

“We’ve been looking like we were going to put a few goals past someone for a while now. In previous weeks, we’ve created chance after chance but this time, we got our just rewards,” said Ferris.

“Devizes weren’t 11 points ahead of us for no reason and it was an excellent win.

“I’ve got to praise Jordan Coulter and Dan Smith too because they were superb in our engine room.”

Mark Barnes scored as Devizes suffered another 4-1 defeat last weekend, this time at the hands of Almondsbury UWE.

Joint-boss Justin Webster said: “I could take losing to Almondsbury on Saturday because they played the conditions and were the better side but this was just embarrassing.

“We were woeful in the first-half and our attitude was terrible – it was unacceptable.

“I’m sure we’ll be making changes for this weekend because we’ve got three big home games coming up. Nobody’s place is safe.”

Former Shepton Mallet midfielder Josh Ferguson came off the bench for Park in Tuesday night’s clash.

Local rivals Melksham Town and Bradford Town have been kept apart in
the draw for the semi-finals of the Wiltshire Senior
Cup.

Darren Perrin’s Melksham, who beat Highworth Town in the last round, are due to travel to Hellenic League Purton on Tuesday, March 18, while Bradford, who got past Pewsey Vale in the quarter-finals, are at Sydenhams League Bemerton Heath Harlequins seven days earlier.

Calne Town chief Simon Gardner admits picking up three points would feel like winning a trophy for his struggling side right now.

Calne’s nine-match winless run stretches the back to November and a third defeat on the spin came at Ashton & Backwell United.

“I know that it sounds like an excuse but we just haven’t had the rub of the green at all – the boys are really feeling the pain at the moment and it’s a good job that we’ve got a squad that will stick together,” he said.

“The difference was that they took their chances and we didn’t. We went 1-0 up through a poacher’s goal from Glenn Armstrong but then they won a dubious free-kick.

“To be fair to (goalkeeper) Jamie Bartlett, Joe Hart wouldn’t have saved it because it was an absolutely world-class finish (from Ricky Briggs) and there wasn’t anything we could do about it.

“Glenn had another chance, where you would have put your mortgage on him scoring, but he headed into the keeper and Marcus Lovesey’s toe-poked the ball from five yards but their keeper pulled off a superb save.

“Then, we’ve lost their centre-half from a corner, he’s headed it back in, and they’ve scored their second from there – that’s the way it’s going for us at the moment.

“I think that we just need that win at the moment to get our season back on track. Getting three points would feel like winning a cup final.”

Ryan Crouch headed home the winner following a scramble in the penalty area as Calne striker Jamie Jordan made his debut after joining from Chippenham Park.

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