Late heartbreak for Melton Town at Skegness

Skegness Town 1 Melton Town 0
Melton were beaten at Skegness.Melton were beaten at Skegness.
Melton were beaten at Skegness.

Melton Town threw away a point at the death as they gifted Skegness Town a 1-0 win in stoppage time, writes Adam Etheridge.

Jamie Potts scored the only goal of a fiercely fought contest in the 91st minute after the Reds had given away possession.

The match began with Melton controlling play, keeping the ball and moving it around nicely on what was a very firm pitch.

Though they didn’t see much of the ball early on, Skegness did have the best of the early chances, with shots that came close from Potts and Jonny Lockie.

Skegness hit the woodwork, for the first of three times, in the 13th minute, as Potts’ smashed the ball off the underside of the bar.

The home team felt that the ball had crossed the line but the officials remained unmoved by their claims.

Moments later the Lilywhites hit the bar again, this time with a header from a free kick.

The ball bounced away safely for Melton this time as they mounted an attack of their own.

Mason Lee almost broke the deadlock, but his shot from the edge of the box crept wide of the left post.

Potts, once again, smashed the ball off the woodwork, hitting the post from range after being gifted possession in the middle.

Despite Skegness going so close on several occasions, Melton had still spent the majority of the match on the ball, working their way in to good attacking positions, winning numerous free kicks as Skegness were guilty of several cynical fouls.

The constant fouls were finally too much in the 31st minute when George Hobbins had his name taken by the referee.

Lockie followed him in to the Referee’s notebook shortly before half time when he encroached from a free kick.

The forward could have been sent off when he was pulled up for a foul just seconds later, with the Pork Pie Army claiming that he used his elbow.

Melton continued to dominate possession in the second half with Lee going close again and Zak Munton having a couple of opportunities.

The best of the chances for the Reds came in the 63rd minute when Paul Anderson sent a corner in that Sam Beaver met at the far post.

Under pressure the defender couldn’t get a good connection but the ball still headed towards goal where it pinballed around the six yard box but didn’t find its way over the line.

Skegness enjoyed a period of dominance towards the end of the match before momentum swung back in the favour of Melton.

Nathan Benjamin headed inches over the bar from an Anderson free kick with just five minutes left to play.

Then as the match entered stoppage time, a defensive clearance, under no pressure, was played directly to Skegness in the middle of the pitch.

After a run down the left and a routine shot, Bill Harrison lost control of the ball under pressure from Potts who had the simple task of firing in to an empty net.

After four straight defeats away from home, Melton will be glad to return to the comforts of Sign Right Park, where they have won four straight, when they host Selston on Saturday before ending the season away to promotion hopefuls Anstey Nomads on Easter Monday.