Melton Town in seventh heaven as they move three points from summit

Free-scoring Melton Town closed to within three points of the United Counties League summit after chalking up their seventh straight win on Saturday.
Hat-trick man Robbie Parsons opens his and Town's account on Saturday EMN-190121-094125002Hat-trick man Robbie Parsons opens his and Town's account on Saturday EMN-190121-094125002
Hat-trick man Robbie Parsons opens his and Town's account on Saturday EMN-190121-094125002

Having dispatched Huntington 8-0 in their previous home match, and then scored four at Bugbrooke, Town put seven past Burton Park Wanderers without reply on Saturday.

With Anstey Nomads seeing off Lutterworth Town 3-1 in their top-of-the-table clash, Melton are just three points adrift of both in third place, but Anstey have a game in hand.

Melton welcomed one of their recent bogey sides to The Signright, but co-manager Jon Stevenson made only his second start of the season after three months on the sidelines with injury.

Co-manager Jon Stevenson (left), who made only his second Town start after injury, celebrates Parsons' opener EMN-190121-094136002Co-manager Jon Stevenson (left), who made only his second Town start after injury, celebrates Parsons' opener EMN-190121-094136002
Co-manager Jon Stevenson (left), who made only his second Town start after injury, celebrates Parsons' opener EMN-190121-094136002

Town typically started on the front foot and were awarded a penalty in only the second minute for a push on Parsons as he controlled a Stevenson corner.

Clark guessed the right way and got a hand to Parsons’ spot-kick, but it trickled over the line.

Melton controlled the game and put themselves in dangerous positions in the area without creating any openings.

The only real shot of note saw Westwood’s speculative 25-yard attempt find Clark’s hands.

Reeve pounced on a long clearance out of defence and rounded the keeper, but Bell recovered to make a last-ditch tackle as Melton started to ramp up the pressure. Park’s resilience was finally broken in the 36th minute when a corner was cleared only as far as Rigby.

His cross was met by Reeve and he cleverly headed on to Wilson whose diving header found the bottom corner of the net.

Almost straight from the restart Westwood collected the ball on the halfway line and played a clever cross to Parsons in the area, who brought it down on his chest and volleyed past Clark for 3-0.

Melton now looked like scoring whenever they put Wanderers’ fragile-looking defence under pressure, and just before half-time, Rigby showed his pace down the wing and steered a low shot across the area.

Clark missed the ball, but the ball rebounded into the net off the unfortunate Dineen.

Melton were slow to start after the break and guilty of cheaply giving the ball away in defence, but Esurvoso couldn’t find the net from 20 yards.

Reeve was unlucky soon after when McInally’s poor backpass found Town’s top scorer with just the keeper to beat, but his powerful shot was well saved by Clark.

Westwood went close when he headed a corner against the post and rebounded to safety.

But Melton underlined their superiority with a fifth when Dineen’s defensive error allowed Parsons to steal the ball and sidefoot into an open goal for his second hat-trick in three games.

Melton’s goal threat resurfaced minutes later when Hill’s corner was missed by everyone and found Wilson at the back of the six-yard box, and he planted the ball inside the far post for Town’s sixth.

Melton had the final word with just minutes left of this mis-match when the ball went out to Reek who played in Parsons on the edge of the area and was bundled to the ground.

Everyone stopped, expecting a free-kick, but the ball fell to Price who slotted it into the bottom corner.

Melton have finally moved back into the promotion race and go to Birstall next Saturday top of the league’s form table as they try to make it eight wins in a row and heap more pressure on the top two.

Town: Peet, Rigby, Leon Fray (Levi Fray), Wilson, Gilchrist, Westwood, Lever, Hill, Stevenson (Reek), Parsons, Reeve (Price).