A Town side showing no less than five changes from their last fixture fell to a comprehensive 5-1 defeat at home to league chasing Bristol Manor Farm.
Due to traffic problems this fixture kicked off some 15 minutes later than originally planned, and the Town were left bemused after an opening eight minutes which saw them trail 2-0, and with a mountain to climb against a side who had already thrashed them 6-0 in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season in Bristol. The Town rarely threatened in the first period and went 3-0 down just on the half time whistle when Shepard scored with a clever chip. The home side improved in the second period and Gary Higdon knocked home a left foot effort after a good run on 56 minutes to give them a glimmer of hope. Indeed had the referee dished out a merited second yellow card to a visiting player for a rash challenge on 60 minutes, then maybe the Town could have got something more from the game after a period of pressure. However the visitors pulled further away when taking advantage of a mix up in the Town defence on 69 minutes to go 4-1 up. In a bid to get back into the game all three substitutes, Tom Stocks, Shaun Benison and Tom Robinson were introduced, but Melksham’s misery was complete on 89 minutes when Bristol Manor Farm scored the fifth goal to complete a comprehensive 5-1 victory. In hindsight a side with so many changes on the back of a slog on a heavy pitch some 48 hours earlier, was always going to find it difficult to get something from this game, although the margin of defeat and defensive performance was disappointing.
Man of Match – Sayeed Ibrahim. Team – Drewitt, Sharp, Jeffery, Bennett, Cox, Ibrahim, Flower, Thompson, Higdon, Kovacs, Griffiths. Subs – Benison, Stocks, Robinson.
