Seven points from three games gives Town new hope to beat the drop

Saturday 21st March

Exmouth 0-1 Melksham Town

Elliot Haffenden’s stoppage time goal at Exmouth earned Town a massive three points in their relegation battle.

Elliot came off the bench to grab the vital winner which gave Town their first back-to-back wins of the season and a glimmer of hope in their bid to avoid the drop.

Although still in the drop zone, the win takes Town up to 35 points, level on points with the three teams above them – Mousehole, Falmouth Town and Willand Rovers – and one below Bideford, and one point clear of Brixham.

Although Town have played more games than all the teams around them, seven points from three games under new manager Kieran Baggs has given the side renewed hope.

Elliot’s winner came in the 100th minute after captain Mark Cooper and Owen Howe were both sent off in the second-half alongside two Exmouth players.

“Just based on effort and character alone we deserve the three points,” said manager Kieran Baggs. “It just keeps the dream alive for us. Obviously we know we’ve got to rely on lots of other results and favours from other people. We can only take care of our own house at the moment and that’s seven points from nine since I came in and probably should be nine from nine if we’d taken our chances from Supermarine game.

“Another clean sheet, back-to-back wins and it just gives us hope… it just brings us closer and we just have to go on this type of run to have a chance of the great escape.

“I’m here to try and create something from this last six games now. Probably need another three wins in those six games with huge huge fixtures coming up (at home to Bashley on Saturday) just to give us some hope.

“We need as many people from Melksham there as possible to create a real cauldron for the boys. That’s my war cry in an absolutely massive game that the boys need to give everything for again to try and keep that dream alive.”

Melksham Town vs Exmouth. Picture: Starsphinx Photography

Thursday 19th March

Tavistock 0- 2 Melksham Town

Town made the long trip to Tavistock and came away with a vital win with second-half goals from Elliot Haffenden and Levi Irving.

Haffenden fired the visitors in front on 53 minutes before Irving wrapped up the three points five minutes into injury time.

It was manager Kieran Baggs first win in only his second game in charge since returning to the club earlier this month.

“It was a great feeling to pick up three points; much needed,” he said. “Tavistock away on a Thursday, two and a half hours away, we’ll take a clean sheet and a two-nil win, all day every day and I’m delighted to get my first win under the belt.”

Saturday 14th March

Swindon Supermarine 1-1 Melksham Town

Swindon Supermarine vs Melksham Town. Picture: Starsphinx Photography

An equaliser deep in injury time from Alex Hallett earned Town a valuable point at Swindon Supermarine.

Piotr Petrynski looked to have won it for the home side with a goal on the stroke of full-time but Alex Hallett’s 94th minute goal rescued a point.

New manager Kieran Baggs took charge of the Black and Yellow for the first time in nearly seven years after his return to the club.

“It’s been a whirlwind week, only taking on the role on Sunday and then a really, really tough fixture away at Swindon Supermarine,” he said after the game.

“Before talking about football, I think it’s important to mention, part of the local community, we at Melksham Town Football Club as a whole played amazing respects to Mick Perrin at his funeral, the former President of Melksham Town and I said to the boys, it’s got to start meaning something playing for Melksham Town. If it can mean a fraction of what Melksham Town meant to Mick Perrin, that’s what I’m trying to capture here, trying to make sure that playing for this football club means something.

“I don’t think there can be any complaints about how hard the boys worked today. We probably could have gone in a couple of goals up; in the first half we had some really, really good chances and then I felt that they came on strong in the second half and it was absolutely gutting to see a corner go in in the 90th minute.

“We defended the long throws, the corners, the balls into the box all day and then to concede one so late on was tough to take but great response, got a corner from the last kick of the game and Alex scored on his return to the club to earn us what could be a really, really important point.

“So overall maybe slightly disappointed not to come away with three points given the manner the game ended, I think we can be fortunate to finish with one.

“But everyone who came today, Melksham fans, can go home and know that every single player gave everything they could for this football club and that’s all we can ask.

“Hopefully across the next nine games we can add more points and we might be able to do the unthinkable and survive.”