Melton Town begin the year in style with win over Pinchbeck

Having lost their previous two games just before Christmas, Melton were looking to start the new year with a win to keep their play-off hopes alive.

The last thing they needed was a visit from Pinchbeck United who have already drawn one and won two against The Reds this season, but Melton looked lively straight from the start and their first attack paid dividends.

Kyron Stabana played a ball along the line to Kairo Edwards-John who out-muscled Zane Millar before rounding the keeper and from a tight angle slotting the ball into the net.

It took until the 13th minute before the visitors had their first shot at goal. An Elliot Foster free-kick inside the D deflected off the wall and over the bar.

Four minutes later the Melton lead was doubled, a counter-attack seeing Syme Mulvany jink past Ellis Perry-Burdett before clipping a ball in to Paul Anderson who nodded in from three yards out.

Melton’s early pressure was relentless and 21 minutes in they were 3-0 up. A long ball through to Edwards-John saw a low shot saved by Alex Smith, only for it to fall to Toby Fura who smashed it into an open net.

Pinchbeck should have cut the deficit on the half hour when Avelino Vieira shot wide, while Stabana had an effort from 20 yards out which went just over the bar and Mulvany beat Perry-Burdett twice before sending in a low cross that Edwards-John connected with only for the ball to fly across the goal-line and shave the far post.

Then on the stroke of half time a lapse of concentration by Melton saw a back pass intercepted by Neal Spafford, who slotted the ball past Bill Harrison.

The first move of the second half should have seen United with a second goal. A clearance rebounded off Sam Beaver and fell to Spafford with an open goal but his shot from the edge of the area went wide.

Anderson had a powerful shot which needed Smith to be alert in goal. Then, just after the hour mark, Mulvany played in Fura whose fierce shot needed Smith to finger-tip the ball over the bar.

Nathan Stevens had a cross-cum-shot for the visitors which clipped the corner of post and bar moments before Melton counter-attacked with Jorrin John playing a through ball to Jesse Hammond whose low shot hit the far post and rolled along the goal-line, but Melton managed the game in the final minutes to claim the three points.

The Reds go to Deeping Rangers this weekend.