Kairo’s solo secures win for second-placed Melton

Match-winner Kairo Edwards-John in possession for Melton on Saturday. Photo: Mark Woolterton.

Melton Town kept the pressure on UCL Premier North leaders Loughborough Students with a 2-1 win at home to Leicester Nirvana on Saturday.

The win leaves Melton five points behind Loughborough, who are still unbeaten.

Melton were the first to come close when Kairo Edwards-John beat Dean Hopewell for pace and drove towards the penalty area, he found Toby Fura with a short pass, who went to the byline and sent a low ball across the line only for Tom Manship to touch it just wide of the post.

The visitors’ first effort came in the 13th minute with Kyle Tott having an effort from 25 yards go inches wide of the upright.

Melton eventually broke the deadlock halfway through the first half. Edwards-John went down the left and, once again, outpaced Hopewell before cutting inside and letting fly with a low shot which cruelly bounced off the keeper and into the net.

The second half started with Edwards-John having a shot on the turn which hit the side netting before Nirvana got on the scoresheet with an equaliser. A corner went to the far post and was cleared only as far as Tott, whose returning low shot beat Ben Newton.

Melton almost took the lead back a minute later when Pat Fini went down the touchline and found Edwards-John in the box but his shot on the turn went inches over the bar. Edwards-John was involved in the next chance too, when he went to the byline and played the ball back to Mason Lee only for his strike to be blocked on the line.

Edwards-John again beat three defenders before shooting across the goal and shaving the far post, then Lee beat Chad Timpson for speed and played the ball into Henry Dunn who scuffed his effort.

Then, on 80 minutes Melton got their deserved winner. A Nirvana attack was broken up and cleared to the hallway line. Edwards-John battled Mason Rowley for the ball and went clear on goal, slotting calmly past Luis Parry into the bottom corner of the net.

Nirvana nearly levelled in the final minute as Tott received the ball in the area and his powerful shot needed Newton at full stretch to finger-tip the ball round the post and Town hung on.

Third-placed and in-form Quorn visit Sign Right Park on Friday evening, being eight points behind Melton with two games in hand.