Melksham held onto their third place in the league, with the bonus point win over home team Pewsey Vale.
Both teams took time to settle into the game after an early start; the home team failing to convert an early penalty into points. The first score for the visitors came from second row Ryan Brown’s pick and go drive to the line. Extras added by scrumhalf Callum Hurn. Just ten minutes later, winger Jake Spooner backed himself to get around the outside of the defenders and score, Hurn adding the extras. More of the same a few minutes later, on the other wing, debutant Jamie Shipman, ran in for his first of the day. Melksham, now attacking from different quarters, had a quick “kick over the top” chased down and secured for Alex Cox to show strength and power to touch down, taking the score 0 to 24 points just before the half time whistle.
On the restart, Melksham resumed their momentum. Striking from quick thinking at a line out, Harry Clarke crossed the line to add to the mounting score. The visitors’ control of the game consolidated with a determined run from Shipman up the line to score out wide, Hurn slotting the conversion. Try as they did, the home team couldn’t halt the varied attack. A deft touch from substitute Luke Cador sublimely collecting his own kick ahead to run and score. Hurn added the extras to keep the score ticking over. Captain Phil Stone, showing the way, stepped through traffic to offload to Shipman, finishing in the corner for his third of the game, Hurn adding the extras. The last try of the game came from Cador with an elusive run for his brace. Final points came from Hurn, adding the conversion to end the game 0-57.
The day rounded off with a warm post-game reception, the very first to be held inside the emerging new clubhouse on site.
