FIRST TEAM RECORD IMPRESSIVE PRE-SEASON VICTORY AGAINST BALDOCK TOWN (July 28, 2007)
The First Team recorded their first pre-season victory earlier today, beating Baldock Town 3-2 at Stoneylands in convincing fashion.
The match kicked off at 3.15pm because of Baldock's late arrival, and although the early exchanges were pretty even, it wasn't long before Melford were on top and deserved their 1-0 lead after 15 minutes.
A lovely passing move involving several players resulted in a great ball from Liam Bevis, and David Kenyon was bundled over in the box as he tried to get to Bevis' ball. It was a clear penalty, and Tony French finished from the spot with his trademark accuracy.
Almost immediately after this, Baldock broke forward and forced keeper Craig Rulton into a smart stop. This served as a timely reminder that Baldock would not roll over without a fight. The visitors looked a competent side all afternoon, although admittedly not of the same calibre as our previous pre-season opponents.
Around the 35 minute mark Melford extended their lead. The dangerous Ashley Skeggs (pictured above) latched on to an excellent ball from David Kenyon and finished clinically past the Baldock keeper.
However, it wasn't long before Baldock hit back - Melford captain Steve Arnold conceded a penalty to blemish an otherwise outstanding display at centre-back, and the spot kick was dispatched confidently.There was still time before the break for Paul Walker to rattle the bar with a fierce header from a fine Danny Brind cross from the right.
Baldock started the second half in a lively manner, clipping Craig Rulton's crossbar with a cross/shot, but it was Melford who stepped up a gear in the following 20 minutes and took the game to the visitors.
On 65 minutes, Matt Wilson played a perfect pass to David Kenyon, who controlled the ball neatly and finished nicely to notch his first goal in a Melford shirt. There were chances for Melford to extend their two-goal lead, the best of which perhaps fell to Ashley Skeggs, who after a stong run found himself through on goal but finished tamely.
Melford didn't finish the match particularly well, and allowed the visitors to get back into the game when really they shouldn't have been in a position to do so. A late Baldock goal (a scrappy goal finally bundled home after some sloppy defending) gave the match a 3-2 scoreline when on the balance of play Melford were probably worth a two-goal victory. Full credit to Baldock though, they worked hard and kept going to the last whistle and gave Melford a thorough workout.
This was a well-deserved victory for Melford and there were a number of positives - all of the 13 players used put in strong performances, and the new signings are getting better and better with each match they play. After Tuesday night's defeat this was a timely victory, it's obviously nice to secure a win but more important than the result was the performance. Some of the one-touch football Melford played was a joy to watch, and apart from a slightly lacklustre finish to the match it was a confident, hard-working and accomplished display.
Team : Craig Rulton, Errol Durell, Tony French, Andy Gooderham, Steve Arnold, Danny Brind, Paul Walker, Liam Bevis, Matt Wilson, Ashley Skeggs, David Kenyon
Substitutes: Steve Chisholm, Steve Adams
Goalscorers: Tony French, Ashley Skeggs, David Kenyon
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