FA Cup exit as Pat gets pro deal

The Reds were beaten 4-2 at Grimsby Borough in a game where they were hampered by a second-half sending off.

Six minutes into the game the hosts took the lead when the ball was sent into the box and after not being cleared it fell to Barlow to stab the ball into the net.

It took only ten minutes for Melton to get the equaliser. A ball down the wing saw Tyreace Palmer cut inside and play in Mitchell Woakes who sent a low ball across the goal line with Tom Wakely tapping in at the far post.

The hosts lost their flow and the game became more physical with both sides seeing yellow cards. It was no surprise that on the stroke of half time Greg Mills went on a run into the penalty area, floating past three defenders before being hacked down. Mills calmly slotted home the resulting penalty.

Grimsby started to play their best football in the second half. Adam Drury beat the offside trap and scuffed his shot wide and Caine Winfarrah had a shot from distance which went inches wide. Then in the 66th minute the hosts were given a soft freekick on the edge of the area and Winfarrah slotted the kick into the top corner of the net.

The game then changed when Tom Mason was shown a second yellow reducing the visitors to ten men. With just three minutes to go a Grimsby corner was only cleared as far Tom Hipwell who hit a cracker finding the top corner.

As Melton threw everything forward in search of an equaliser they were caught when Winfarrah went on a quick breakaway and a ball into the six yard box was finished by Drury with a tap in.

Melton go to Sherwood Colliery in the FA Vase on Friday.

*Melton midfielder Pat Fini has left to play professional football in Sweden.

Fini made 46 appearance for Melton, scoring once, and has signed for fourth tier club Arameisk-Syrianska IF.