Wednesday 21st August, FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay Hamworthy 3 Melksham Town 1 (aet)

The  Town went down to a 3-1 defeat after extra time at Hamworthy United in the replay after Saturday’s 3-3 draw.

The defeat means Melksham’s FA Cup dream is over for another year as their Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division opponents progressed.

The game never really got going as a spectacle and   was overshadowed by a bizarre performance from the referee who deemed it necessary to issue 11 yellow cards and two red cards in a game with hardly a bad challenge. However, the exact number is not clear as he mislaid his cards at the half-time break and brandished his note book and imaginary cards!

The Town’s Gary Higdon and Will Stead saw red  with Higdon’s dismissal on the full time whistle, meaning the Town faced extra time with 10 men and the score still goalless.

The home-side broke Town’s strong defence before Sayeed Ibrahim’s first goal for the club brought the scores level in the second period of extra time but in the end, two late goals brought an end to their brave resistance.

Team; Drewitt, Flower, Miller, Macey, Young, Ibrahim, Benison, Robinson, T Higdon, Kovacs, Robinson J; Subs Rogers, Stead.

Saturday 17th August, FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Melksham Town 3 Hamworthy 3

If this transpires to be the last FA Cup tie played at The Conigre with the impending ground move coming ever nearer, then the 3-3 draw between the Town and Dorset visitors Hamworthy United was a good way to end, with twists and turns and plenty of goal mouth incident to keep the spectators entertained.

The Town opened brightly although were rocked back on nine minutes when the visitor’s skipper Sturgess saw his strong run brought to an end by a trip in the box from Town defender Matt Sharp, leaving the ref with no option but to award a penalty. Allen tucked away the penalty to put the visitors 1-0 ahead.

On 13 minutes Town’s Josh Robinson volleyed a Higdon cross just wide, while at the other end Pakun will be wondering how he missed a glorious opportunity to put the visitors 2-0 ahead. Hamworthy were looking dangerous going forward and Town keeper Drewitt did well to tip over an audacious chip from Chudy on 17 minutes, although on 23 minutes Hamworthy pulled 2-0 ahead through Chudy when he calmly slotted home their second after latching onto a flick .

The Town gradually pulled themselves back into the game with Gary Higdon shooting narrowly wide on a couple of occasions, before on 33 minutes a scramble in the box saw the Town awarded a penalty themselves with a blatant handball seen by the ref and a resultant yellow card. Higdon slotted home the penalty to get his scoring season off and running and the Town sensed there was a way back into the game.

The half time break was reached with Hamworthy holding onto the 2-1 advantage but with the prospect of further goals in the second period.

On 68 minutes Higdon chased a lost cause and having won the ball was felled in the box by Penny and again the ref correctly pointed to the spot. Higdon rammed home the penalty to leave the score at 2-2 and the momentum appeared to be with the home side. However in keeping with the nature of this tie it was Hamworthy who seemed to take the initiative, and the Town were grateful for a wonderful left handed reaction save from keeper Drewitt on 70 minutes from Sturgess to keep the scores level.

However their relief was short lived as on 75 minutes a delightful free kick from Sturgess was headed into the net by Horlock and once again Hamworthy looked like they had one foot in the next round. Both managers threw on their substitutes with the Town bringing on Nathan Flower and Will Stead on 75 minutes. Town pressed forward and Tom Robinson shot over as they strained for an equaliser. On 80 minutes their efforts were rewarded when a fine pass from Sayeed Ibrahim found Shaun Benison who strode into the Hamworthy box before laying the ball into the path of Higdon, who slotted home his hat ruck to bring the scores all level at 3-3.

Other than Dave Macey’s speculative 30 yard drive just over the bar no further clear cut opportunities were carved out, and with the game level after 90 minutes a replay will be held. The club are grateful to Dave Smith of Ashord Homes for the match sponsorship.

All said a great game for the neutral, possibly not for the managers, played out in a good spirit on and off the field despite the relative importance of the £1500 prize club money which is so useful to all non-league teams. Man of Match: Gary Higdon.