Melksham 24 Chippenham 31
The stage was set. The local derby was upon us. Melksham vs Chippenham. Chudleigh vs Jaffa.
The first home game of the year for Melksham was due to be a real blockbuster, and disappoint us it did not. The match started with Chippenham, a Level 6 side taking a very quick 3 try lead while Melksham were getting to grips with the pace of the game.
Melksham, a level 8 side, started to bring themselves back into the game through the leadership of Simon Foster. Recently turned 53, the young man rolled back the years to throw a real sense of direction towards the Melksham attack with some deft touches and a few delightful offloads.
With the game still within touching distance for Melksham, the intensity needed to be brought forwards. Besides the one million and one carries by Mr Sam Norris, the next course of action was through Sam Tingey who did his utmost to get under the opposition’s skin. This resulted in Chippenham finding themselves 30 metres further back after a series of indiscretions.
Melksham started to dominate from that moment on. Power, pace and pure channelled aggression turned what spectators thought could be a whitewash into what eventually became a game of the ages. With some flying Fijians scoring down the wing the scoreboard started to edge closer and closer to a real upset.
Whilst the crowds ventured up into the dry of the ‘corporate box’, the players were swapping and changing on and off the field as the injuries and lockdown fatigue crept in. The boys in blue were holding their own with their fantastic strength in depth, the final try of the game coming after some terrific pressure from the Melksham troops. It was however a little too late. The score ended 31-24 in Chippenham’s favour.
Some real positives for the Melksham side to build on, holding their own against a side 2 leagues above can only mean positive things for the coming season.
Report by Jack Tunney