Eight-goal Melton Town dispatch rock-bottom Lutterworth

Having already lost to a side in the bottom three this season, Melton turned up at rock-bottom Lutterworth knowing they needed 100 per cent focus.

And this they did, with the first 10 minutes played solely in the Lutterworth half as Town patiently passed the ball around looking for an opening.

That opening came in the 13th minute when Sam Beaver chased down a lost cause with the ball going out for a goal-kick and slid a pass to Price who tapped in from a yard.

Great saves from Hartley midway through the half denied Town, first from a deflected corner off Williams’ head which had to be tipped over the bar.

The Athletic keeper then tipped over Zak Munton’s strike.

Bit it was all in vain as the visitors made it 2-0 just three minutes later when Kadeem Price’s burst of speed took him clear.

Munday and the keeper managed a block, but the ball fell to Nathan Arnold 30 yards out who calmly lobbed the ball into an empty net.

Two goals in four minutes ended this game as a contest.

In the 31st minute, player-manager Tom Manship received a long diagonal ball and from out wide he clipped it into Hibbitt whose half-volley gave Hartley no chance.

The midfielder quickly added a second, nodding Manship’s corner back across goal and into the far corner.

Athletic’s first shot came straight after half-time when Blockley got clear of Beaver, but his low shot sailed wide.

Price went close after outmuscling Williams, and Wilson’s header at the far post was just off-target.

It went from bad to worse for the hosts on the hour when Matt Moody was involved in an off-the-ball incident which resulted in Munton tumbling to the floor.

Moody was shown a red card and almost immediately Melton had their fifth.

Jordan Lever beat Williams’ tackle and floated a cross to Wilson who made no mistake this time when he nodded in.

Melton never took their foot off the pedal and it was six with 20 minutes left when Lever gave Williams the slip for the umpteenth time and cut into the box before his low shot deflected into the net off Munday.

Price turned provider when he beat the left-back for pace and drove into the box before finding Laithan Hammond who touched it in from three yards.

Kyle Reek had a shot brilliantly saved by Hartley, but in the final minute it was 8-0 after the ref waved play-on for a poor tackle on Hammond.

Tom Rigby pounced and made ground into the box where he teed up Hammond for his second.

Melton dominated possession, defended confidently and played a complete game against a young Lutterworth side.

Town move on to Senior Count Cup action on Tuesday when they host East Midlands Counties League side Barrow Town (ko 7.30pm).

Town: Peet, Beaver (Rigby), Benjamin, Manship, Gilchrist, Wilson, Munton (Hammond), Hibbitt, Price, Arnold (Reek), Lever.