Foster double helps Melton Town into county cup quarter-finals

In a strange twist in the County Cup draws, both Melton sides were playing away in Lutterworth on the same evening with Melton drawn at high-flyers Town.

Zak Ginvert was cup-tied so Kieran Foster came in for his first start, and Liam Ambrose was brought in to replace Jack Baker who was unavailable.

Lutterworth pressed hard and within a minute a long ball into the box was headed onto the crossbar by Tendai who caused havoc in the Melton box and minutes later headed over the bar from three yards.

An inswinging corner then caught Melton napping and Tendai’s downward header bounced over the empty net.

Very much like Saturday’s game it took Melton a good 25 minutes to compose themselves and start to put some passes together.

Against the run of play Matt Hendey collected the ball in midfield and slipped Tom Byrne through to cut in past two defenders and blast a shot into the roof of the net.

Matt Hendey’s low free-kick was brilliantly saved, and at the other end Lapworth scrambled a looping Lutterworth cross off the line.

Melton almost stretched their lead a minute before half-time when Matt Hendey ran down the left and beat the full-back for pace. His cross found the unmarked Byrne who turned his defender but sent his shot over the bar.

After the break, Lutterworth came out of the traps stronger and their first move saw a low cross miscued right in front of an open goal.

And 20 minutes into the second half Melton punished the hosts’ high defensive line by playing Byrne through.

He was sent wide, but looked up and squared a great ball to the unmarked Foster who slotted in for 2-0.

The visitors started to look confident and dominated possession.

Byrne tried his luck from 30 yards, but the keeper just kept it out after fumbling the initial shot.

Then with just 15 minutes left Mike Hendey’s hard tackle in midfield left him clear on goal. He played a great ball into the path of Foster who drove his shot hard and low into the bottom corner for his third goal in two games.

In desperation, Lutterworth resorted to long, high balls, and one such delivery caught Melton’s defence asleep, leaving Tendai to pull a goal back with an uncontested header.

The hosts then launched a hopeful free-kick from inside their own half which caught the wind and had to be finger-tipped over by Witham.

But Town completed the rout late on when one of Melton’s rare corners was hit low into the box where Hibbitt blasted in from six yards. 
If they can repeat this form at league leaders Raunds Town on Saturday, a surprise league double could be on the cards.