Melksham overcame the Longwell Green side to progress into the last 16 of the Les Phillips Cup which is effectively the league cup competition for the Toolstation Western League, and will face a tricky tie at Division One Almondsbury in the next round.
The starting line up featured no less than six changes from the one that took the field against Bradford Town last week, with Will Stead and Ben Thomson serving one match bans and slight injuries and unavailability ruling out Flockton, Jeffery, Brown, Morris and Kovacs.
Manager Darren Perrin handed a starting debut to 18-year-old Charlie Maddison and in a youthful Town line up, Youth team player Warren Maidment also started with Will Thomson in midfield.
Melksham took the lead on 20 minutes when a long Ibrahim freekick was flicked on by Higdon to Stradling and as the ball was only partially cleared, Will Thomson slammed the ball home from an acute angle for his second goal of the season.
On 25 minutes Stradling’s pace took him clear of the visiting defence but he was unable to convert the one-on-one opportunity with the keeper blocking his effort.
On 35 minutes a Maddison cross was nodded goalwards by Thompson but a combination of the keeper and the bar kept the ball out as Melksham strove for a second goal.
On 40 minutes the visiting defence misjudged a long Ibrahim freekick and Stradling again found himself with a clear run on goal but dragged his effort into the side netting and just before the break, Player in the Longwell goal got down well at his near post to save a Higdon effort after some delightful set up play by Benison.
The interval saw Melksham holding a slender 1-0 advantage and wondering whether the missed opportunities may come back to haunt them.
On 47 minutes Maddison was replaced by Perrott and on 51 minutes a Thomson effort was deflected behind for a corner, with Benison’s resultant corner flashing wide of the post after a deft Higdon touch, as the Town continued to press.
At the other end Shaftoe in the home goal saved comfortably from Arnold on 53 minutes, before Melksham gained the second goal their play merited on 56 minutes when the ever dangerous Stradling pounced upon a loose ball on the edge of the box and strode through on goal before confidently dispatching the ball past the visiting keeper to put Melksham 2-0 ahead.
The visitors stuck to their task and Arnold headed just wide when well placed on 66 minutes and shortly after, Melksham introduced Kovacs for Thomson.
On 71 minutes Longwell substitute Nelson hit a left foot effort just wide and as the game opened up, Benison saw his close range effort saved after Higdon laid the ball perfectly into his path.
On 79 minutes another Town youth regular Callum Demkiv was introduced for Higdon and on 85 minutes Stradling shot over when well placed before Kovacs picked up the Town’s only caution in the final minute, for a tug back on a Longwell player.
The final whistle saw the Town run out 2-0 winners to increase their unbeaten run to 12 games.
To continue the good fortune the Town has enjoyed in cup competitions of late, the Town’s Under 18s won through to the quarter finals of the Wiltshire County Youth Cup with a hard fought 4-2 victory over Wootton Bassett on the Sunday, thanks to a hat trick from Callum Demkiv and a goal from Tom Jones and were also indebted to a fine goal keeping performance by Ben Amor.
The Town’s first team face a league game at Gillingham on Tuesday before facing a long journey to Cornwall-based Bodmin Town in the second round of the FA Vase competition against a side who have had an unbeaten start to the season, so will need to be at their very best to progress to the last 64 of this national competition, with a final at Wembley stadium as the ultimate prize.
