Melton Town forced to sit out a second successive blank Saturday

This Saturday's scheduled opposition are playing a postponed FA Vase tie, but the Reds do have two midweek games to tick over their fine start to the season, scheduled to face Sleaford this week and Hinckley Leicester Road in the Westerby Challenge Cup next Tuesday, both at their temporary groundshare home at Loughborough Dynamo.

“I don't think I have ever had two free Saturdays in a row before – and you can take that as a positive or a negative,” said player-manager Tom Manship.

“But it gives us two free Saturdays to train, prepare and sort out what we need to work on.”

Melton remain second in the UCL Premier North, five points behind unbeaten leaders Sherwood CW, having played a game more but yet to play them in a league game.

That follows a fourth place finish last season and Manship said: “We have made changes since last season.

“Our philosophy is just keep trying our best to move forward every year.

“And since I have been at the helm the last four or five years I do believe we have moved forward every year, whether that's facilities, whether that's as a team or as a fan base. As a club we keep moving forwards.

“We have just carried on our form from the end of last season though I have set the lads a target of being more consistent.

“I don't believe we have been as consistent performance-wise as what we need to be, though we have had good spells at the start of the season.”

Manship is an admirer of table-topping Sherwood but is not too concerned about the points gap between them this early in the campaign.

“We played Sherwood in the FA Vase and they are a very good team. They beat us 3-2 and for me they are the best time I have seen in this league,” he said.

“I have watched them three times in midweek and I have been impressed every single time.

“But it is early days yet and I am not looking at the table too much – there is a long way to go.”

He added: “We are in a really good place squad-wise.

“We have a game in midweek, I have just sent out the squad message and unfortunately there are one or two players who are not even in that squad who are very good footballers and could easily play at this level.

“So the squad is healthy, it's good on numbers and quality and we are in a good position.”

On Tuesday's Leicestershire & Rutland County FA Westerby Challenge Cup clash with Leicester Road, he added: “It is another big game and I believe it's the first time Melton have been in this competition – it's for the top non-league teams in Leicestershire to participate in.”

Asfordby's Division One home clash with West Bridgford last weekend was rained off.

This Saturday they head for Birstall United Social while Holwell Sports host Blackstones.