Match Report  |  Melton Town vs Gresley Rovers

Rovers are still to claim their first points of the New Year as they slipped to a defeat at Melton Town.

Manager James Jepson is still to play a settled side as suspension and injuries still have a big effect on his side. Today he was without Massiah McDonald, Lewis Carr, and Tarun Rohilla along with players who are still to recover from their long-term injuries. New signing Sam Moore was given his debut starting up front.

On their 3G pitch Town manager former Moatman Tom Manship has built a side suitable to the surface with a swift attacking team with danger coming largely from down the right and it was soon evident as they put Rovers under pressure once they had recovered from going behind to a shock goal scored with less than a minute on the clock.

For most of the rest of the first half Rovers were pressed back in their own half however, the second half was a different story with the visitors arguably the better of the two sides.

Rovers got off to the best of starts when Moore slid a ball through for Calrick Dunkley who raced through the middle before firing past home stopper Bill Harrison with 48 seconds on the clock.

Town hit back with a header flying just wide from a cross followed a couple of minutes later with Ryan Calver also shooting narrowly wide of the far post.

Dunkley went close to doubling his tally and his side’s score when he ran down the left before cutting into the area, but his shot went into the side netting.

The pressure was increasing on the hard-working Rovers defence with Town forcing corner after corner and that constant pressure told on 24 minutes. Rovers’ keeper Karamo Ceesay made a fine save, and the ball went loose and not cleared and Luther Munakandafa took advantage smashing the ball home from close in. Town almost took the lead from the re-start but Jack Andrews headed the ball off the line.

Munakandafa did well again hitting a shot which Ceesay did well to block but the rebound was blazed well over the open goal.
A great run down the right and without any challenges Toro Sackey-Mensah ended his lung busting effort by firing wide. That wasn’t the end of the intense pressure but this time the home side were rewarded with a goal.

Ceesay made a smart save from a shot but Kieran Hayes was on hand to put the ball into the net giving his side the lead.
It could have been even worse for the visitors as Kairo Edwards-John thought he had increased Town’s advantage, but Ceesay acrobatically tipped the dipping shot over the bar.

Rovers had a far better second half and on 53 minutes a cross from the left by Nathan Banton into the area just eluded Moore waiting at the far post. Seconds later Rovers were convinced that they should have been awarded what looked like a nailed-on spot kick but the referee, Guy Owen, waved away the players’ protests even though all the players on both sides had stopped.

Ceesay was alert to deny Thomas Wakely by tipping his shot over the bar. On 77 minutes Edwards-John had a glorious chance to put the game away but with only Ceesay to beat managed to fire the ball wide of the gaping goal.

Dylan Hunniford blistered the top of Town’s cross bar with a ferocious shot from just outside the area while at the other end Ceesay was denying Findley Pearson with a good block at his near post.

Town got their third goal deep into time added on with Wakley managing to find the back of the net from a tight angle. However, that wasn’t the end of the scoring. Banton made a run down the right and hit a rocket of a shot which beat Harrison but slammed against the bar. Town failed to clear the ball and Alby Lansdowne rammed the ball home, but it was too little too late.

Rovers are now having to look over their shoulders as they dropped a place closer to the dreaded drop zone.