GREAT DAY FOR THE CLUB AS 1ST TEAM & RESERVES SECURE MASSIVE WINS (October 27, 2007)
On what was a fantastic afternoon for Long Melford FC, our 1st Team pulled off a vital 1-0 win at Great Yarmouth Town and our Reserves went back to the top of their league with a 1-0 home win against Harwich & Parkeston.
The 1st Team put in an excellent performance at Yarmouth, taking their points tally to 10 from 10 matches - a massive improvement on last season when it took 15 matches to earn the same amount of points.
Melford started brightly and this set the tone for the rest of the match. After 3 minutes, Ashley Skeggs passed to Carl Daw who shot powerfully but wide of the post. On 6 minutes, it was Skeggs again who caused the home defence problems - beating a man before slotting past the keeper. However, the shot wasn't hit hard enough and the ball was cleared before it went over the line.
On 13 minutes Melford took a deserved lead. Tony French went on a fine run before releasing a well-struck shot that was saved by the keeper but Daw was there to slot home his second goal in three matches for the 1st Team.
Melford were well on top, with Daw testing the keeper again soon after and Paul Walker shot inches wide in the 15th minute after some excellent approach play. Melford continued to battle, with 29th minute substitute Danny Brind steadying the ship and leading by example in central midfield.
However, Yarmouth started to come more into the match and Melford were lucky to survive a goalmouth scramble and an own goal scare in the 36th minute after a wayward shot took a wicked deflection.
On 37 minutes Melford were extremely lucky not to concede, when the home side's number 7 blasted over from close range with the goal at his mercy. Melford looked rattled and an equaliser looked on the cards , Scott Wark had to dig his team out of trouble in the 45th minute when he stifled a Yarmouth attack with a timely interception.
The second half was on the whole a very comfortable one for Melford, with Floyd Croll barely having a save to make as Melford tightened up defensively and created several good openings themselves. Wark and Walker both had free-kicks blocked by the wall and further chances fell to Skeggs, Brind and Daw. Yarmouth were not able to mount any serious attempts on the Melford goal in the second period and the result never really looked in any doubt.
Apart from a spell towards the end of the first half, Melford looked exceptionally comfortable all afternoon with the back five of Croll, Neil Hayward, Mark Alder, Errol Durell and Wark outstanding and the midfield of Liam Cawtheray, Walker, Brind and Skeggs hard-working and inventive. Up front, French yet again led the line brilliantly and Daw was a handful with his pace and movement.
A fantastic win and a vital 3 points for Melford. Yarmouth are struggling at the moment but they've beaten Diss Town and drawn against Ely City at home this season, and when you also consider the long journey Melford had to make it was always going to be a massive result if we could win here.
The league table looks greatly improved after this result and with more similar performances hopefully it will soon look even better.
Melford: Floyd Croll, Liam Cawtheray, Scott Wark, Errol Durell, Mark Alder, Dan Statham, Neil Hayward, Paul Walker, Carl Daw, Tony French, Ashley Skeggs
Subs: Scott Barr (for Daw), Jack Taylor (for Cawtheray), Danny Brind (for Statham)
Click here to return to the News page
| 
