Dress rehearsal ends in stalemate for play-off rivals Melton Town and Loughborough Students

Last season Loughborough ended up in third place in the table and Melton were fourth.

They ended this season in the same positions which shows how close this Saturday's clash should be.

Both teams made half a dozen changes.

Melton made a commanding start and as early as the second minute a Melton short corner to Simpson was played onto Gilchrist only for his effort to be blocked on the line.

The resulting corner was sent to the far post where Manship unleashed a shot which went inches over. Dube fired in a shot from the edge of the area which had the visitors’ keeper at full stretch to touch the ball around the post.

Loughborough’s first chance came in the 19th minute with Edwards playing a ball into Wicks, who curled a shot in which went a foot wide.

Melton nearly opened the scoring halfway through the half when a corner found Fura on the edge of the D and he sent in a shot which was fumbled. Gilchrist pounced onto the loose ball but sent it the wrong side of the post.

A Students corner fell to Edwards, whose close range shot was saved by Harrison.

And on 43 minutes a free kick was pumped into the box with Edwards getting onto the end of it only for the ball to smack the crossbar, the rebound fell nicely to Allen, who also hit the crossbar, the ball landing on the line and cleared away to safety.

The last action of the first half saw Morales on a quick break, running 30 yards only for his low shot to go inches wide of the upright.

Just after the hour mark a ball over the top found Edwards clear on goal, he chipped the Melton keeper but saw the ball sail over the bar.

Thew was unlucky when he drove into the penalty area before slipping a shot past Harrison only to hit the post.

With four minutes to go Beaver found himself clear, but halted by a last ditch tackl before Thew had a run down the wing before finding Keene in the Melton box, his low shot went inches past the far post.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​