Melton Town warm up for Long Bucky test with seven-goal rout

Town were missing five through injury and suspension, but recorded their biggest away win of the season - 7-1 - to take their unbeaten league run to 20 matches.

With the top four professional divisions all cancelling matches for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus, Melton were half-expecting the UCL to follow suit, but the scheduled weekend games survived for at least one more week.

Rushden had inflicted one of Town’s few defeats last season and expected a tough challenge without three first-teamers suspended after red card and sin-binnings picked up at Aylestone.

A much-changed line-up began at some pace and were ahead within 90 seconds when Sam Beaver darted down the wing and played in Robbie Parsons who flicked a ball behind the defence for Laithan Hammond to chip Curtis.

Rushden almost equalised after good interplay saw Orumwense fire a shot inches over the bar.

That was practically it for Rushden as an attacking entity as Melton dominated the game, with debutant Jack Astill and Corey Bucalossi controlling midfield.

It was 2-0 in the 12th minute when Hammond was pulled back in the box and Jordan Lever tucked away the resulting penalty.

Lever combined with Zak Munton who turned Reynolds and fired a low shot which squirmed under Curtis for 3-0.

A Curtis goalkick was then intercepted by Munton whose 25-yard effort just cleared the bar.

And midway through the half a long ball out of defence beat the offside trap and Munton’s chip gave Town a fourth.

A defensive mix-up let in Hammond whose point-blank shot was blocked on the line, and Curtis then denied Beaver when sent through on goal.

From the resulting corner, a header from the unmarked Astill was also well saved.

Rushden almost got one back on the stroke of half-time when Lancaster fired in a powerful effort from an acute angle which nearly caught out Rob Peet, but the Town captain saved onto the post.

The visitors increased their lead early in the second half when Parsons and Bucalossi’s one-two ended with the ball fired across the goalline for Hammond to touch in.

Sandy had an effort blocked on the line and Curtis struggled to parry away Lever’s free-kick on the edge of the area.

Out of the blue Rushden were on the scoresheet when Peet was adjudged to have handled the ball out of his area and Mann’s subsequent free-kick cleared the wall and nestled in the corner of the net.

But Town were no done, and approaching stoppage-time Lever’s short corner found Bucalossi who turned Owen and dinked the ball into the six-yard box for debutant Woolley to plant a powerful header past Curtis.

A minute later the rout was complete when Woolley drove towards the box and floated a cross in for Tom Harris to head in from two yards.

After a raft of postponements, Melton will be playing twice a week until the end of the season, but showed their squad is at its strongest with an emphatic victory.

On Wednesday Melton face a sterner test at second-placed Long Buckby (ko 7.45pm) before welcoming Raunds to The Signright on Saturday (3pm).

They then head to Saffron the following Tuesday for a third game in six days with the possibility promotion could be secured before the month is up.

Town: Peet, Storey, Beaver, Miller, Gilchrist, Astill, Lever (Woolley), Bucalossi, Hammond (Sandy), Munton, Parsons (Harris).