So, if you were wondering I’ll save you googling or asking ChatGPT or whatever, writes Mike Wallis. Corsham is a small-ish town about halfway between Chippenham and Bath.

I grew up not too away but can’t recall ever visiting, only passing through on the train, which enters Brunel’s magnificent Box tunnel just on the edge of Corsham on its way to Bristol. They play in the snappily named Shield Services South West Women’s Football League Division One North, which is level six in the women’s football pyramid, i.e. three steps below Lewes. An equivalent in the men’s pyramid would be Lewes meeting a side like Roffey from the Southern Combination League and there’s no precedent at all for upsets happening in games like that, are there? Corsham have a 100% record so far this season, having played six and won six.

Brunel would’ve been proud of the defensive wall that Corsham had engineered for the match. The formation could generously be described as 9-1 with a line of nine defenders and one player further forward who got to run after the odd aimless long ball from time to time. Stand-in Rooks goalkeeper Lauren Graves touched the ball, I think, two or three times in the whole match.

Lewes peppered the Corsham goal but there was often someone or something in the way. Ferguson, Carpenter, Banaras and Roche all had early chances for the Rooks, Roche having to resort to an ambitious overhead kick to try and find a path to goal through the mass of defenders.

The resistance broke briefly midway through the first half when Taylor Bell was able to cut back from the byline and Olivia Carpenter had a tap-in at the far post for 1-0. Roche played a corner short to Godfrey who lifted a shot in for 2-0 and then the game settled back down into attack versus defence again.

Priest headed in a third just before half-time but this didn’t affect the defensive wall, which held firm for almost all of the second half. Lily Lewis in the Corsham goal had a superb half so when Lewes did eventually find a way through the wall she was able to pull off several increasingly absurd saves and the one she eventually missed was somehow hacked off the line by a covering defender.

Leah Lane did eventually add a fourth late on and Chelsea Ferguson had one of those games where nothing would fall for her, culminating in a penalty that ended up in the college car park after Cowper was penalised (and incredibly harshly) sent off for deliberate handball.

After five minutes I was worried for Corsham. Lewes were all over them and I was thinking about the 19-0 win that AFC Portchester had over Weymouth in the last round, which really isn’t great for everyone involved. But Corsham really did play well and it’s not a massive stretch to think that on another day they might’ve just held out for a 0-0 draw and forced a penalty shootout.

There’s another round to go before the WSL2 teams join in and two rounds to get through before the giants of the WSL join, so keep an eye out for the draw on Monday afternoon.

Lewes: Graves, Edwards, Godfrey (Teale HT), Priest, Harvey (Gilligan HT), Carpenter (Trewhitt 60), Banaras, Rowe, Roche (Rolf HT), Bell (Lane 60), Ferguson.

Goals: Carpenter (29), Godfrey (33), Priest (45+2), Lane (90+3)

Corsham Town: Lewis, Clark (Truigan 80), Peplow, Lyons, Holder, Cowper, Buell (Sommerville 60), Blackman, Silk (Culley 74), Redhouse, Hards (Hamilton 56).

Sent off: Cowper (87, deliberate handball)

Supporters Club player of the match: Lily Lewis had an outstanding game in goal for Corsham so it’s difficult to give it to anyone else!