Sat. 18th August. Evo-Stik Southern Division One
Melksham Town 1 Evesham United 0
Tues. 21st August. Evo-Stik Southern Division One
Paulton Rovers 0 Melksham Town 1
Sat. 25th August. FA Cup Preliminary Round
Melksham Town 1 Blackfield & Langley 0
Mon. 27th August. Evo-Stik Southern Division One
Melksham Town 1 Larkhall Athletic 1
MELKSHAM Town have kicked started their Southern League campaign with a unbeaten run of three games – and there has also been FA Cup success, with the club progressing to the next round.
Manager Kieran Baggs has praised the team for their response to playing at the highest level in the club’s history and has promised that the players will continue with a ‘Melksham underdog’ spirit, determined to cause upset in the league – especially after sending league favourites, Evesham United, into a spin with a 1-0 victory in Town’s debut match.
“Everyone knew that it was going to tough playing Evesham,” said Kieran, “They are the favourites and are expected to be up there at the top of the league at the end of the season. The task was huge – the adrenaline and nerves were high. We had a great crowd. It was a fully deserved victory – we could have scored another two or three goals.”
The winning goal came from new signing Neikell Plummer in the first half. About the goal, Kieran said, “There was build-up from Jon Davies and a great pass from Luke Ballinger to set Neikell Plummer for the goal. There were mad celebrations – it was like a cup final, it was a massive moment for the club to score their first goal in the Southern League.
“In the last five minutes Evesham threw everything at us, but we held on strong for the win. I was pleased with our performance and how we played in defence. It was a great feeling and I was glad to get the three points and get the ball rolling for the season.”
Next up for Town was an away match against Paulton Rovers. “This was our first away game in the league and to come away with a win was fantastic,” said Kieran. “It was the same scorer (Neikell Plummer), same result, but a different performance – we didn’t create enough opportunities or take advantage of the ones on offer. Neikell had a chance in the first half, Jon Davies had a shot saved and Luke Ballinger was unlucky not to score. It was frustrating to watch, but I didn’t show it from my position on the pitch. I had to stay patient and believe in the boys.
“The breakthrough came in the second half with a goal from Neikell – and after that it could have been two or three more goals. We were creating more chances. I’m hopeful in weeks to come that we’ll take advantage of these chances and start scoring more.”
With no chance to rest, Town were next up at home in the FA Cup preliminary round against Blackfield & Langley. A goal from Lee Davidson saw Town win the match 1-0. Kieran said, “We had five or six players nursing injuries for this game, so it was a good chance for other players to get a chance on the pitch. It was not our best performance, but the result is what is important. In weeks to come, people won’t remember how we played, but they will remember the score. In recent years Town have struggled to progress in the FA Cup, so it was good to get through to the next round and I look forward to playing Merthyr Town in the next round.”
Days later, action returned to the Southern League, with Town entertaining Larkhall Athletic at home. “This is a team I know really well,” said Kieran, “I played for them for five seasons – so this was a personal game for me and I was desperate for the win. In the Southern League, Larkhall Athletic are our new derby rivals – it used to be Bradford – so this gave the game some extra spice.
“The amount of games that we have played in the last two weeks caught up with us and this showed in the first half. We were second to too many challenges – the game was 60:40 in their favour. We also missed a penalty in the first half.
“I had words with the team at half-time about raising their levels and that seemed to work as the second half was much better. However, Larkhall caught us cold and snatched a goal from us. But we had to keep believing and keep knocking on that door.
“Jon Davies, who was the man of the match and played exceptionally, scored the equaliser in the 92nd minute of the game. Delighted to get another point and continue our unbeaten run in the league.”
Reflecting on the flying start to Town’s season, Kieran said, “I spoke to the chair of the club (Darren Perrin) and we both said if someone had told us that at this point we would be unbeaten in both the FA Cup and the league we would have snapped their hand off!
“I am delighted at how prepared the team have been for the start of the season and at how well they have responded to playing at this higher level of football – all credit to them. I am also so thankful for the support from the community and the crowds who have been showing up for games – we couldn’t do it without them.
“We have a tough game coming up against Winchester this Saturday (1st September) – they have won three games in a row and are scoring lots of goals. But we will keep us that Melksham underdog spirit and try to get the most out of the game as possible.”
