Two late strikes see Melton Town complete fantastic turnaround at Newark

The visit of Newark in Melton Town's first home match of the season last month saw a disappointing 90th minute winner for the visitors, writes Sam Ellis.

But this was surely the inspiration for Town to seek revenge.

And so it was with Melton scoring a 90th-minute winner on the road on Monday.

The match got off to a frantic start with the first chance falling to Melton when a free kick found Leon Fray unmarked in the area, but his controlled header went inches over the bar.

It didn’t take long for Melton to break the deadlock.

Ten minutes gone and Ryan Calver beat Newark's left back for pace and sent in a low cross which evaded the on coming Tyreace Palmer, but Paul Anderson made no mistake at the back post with a powerful shot finding the middle of the goal.

Three minutes later and the exact same move, but for Newark, saw the game all square as a low cross was touched on and Danny Meadows made no mistake with a half volley into the middle of the goal.

The game became a battle in the midfield with neither side commanding the possession.

On the half hour the hosts took the lead against the run of play when a corner was not cleared and Mase Rowley smashed a low shot through a crowded penalty box and found the back of the net.

Anderson tried a curling shot from the edge of the area which had the keeper diving full stretch to palm the ball around the post.

The second half was playing out the same as the first with Melton being frustrated with Newark's stout defending until the hour mark when Zak Munton and Thomas Harris were brought on.

Sixty-four minutes in and a Newark freekick was headed on by Fray and needed Quinn Johnson to tip the goalward bound ball over the bar.

Calver made a great run into the area and flicked a ball across the box which was met by a Ryan Robbins volley which shaved the crossbar.

Palmer had a low shot which was blocked on the line.

And just as it looked like it wasn’t going to be Melton's day their pressure paid off.

An all out attack saw the ball played wide to Robbins. His cross was cleared out of the area and from 20 yards Anderson let fly with a shot that smacked the post and went in.

The vast travelling support went mad.

In the last minute a great ball down the side of the area picked out Robbins and his first time shot whacked the post.

As the game entered injury time another attack was broken down by the Newark defence only for Ryan Calver to race onto the ball and, from 20 yards out, he hit a low shot which found the bottom corner of the net.

This was not Melton's best performance but their spirit and determination not to give up meant they have now only lost two games in the last 12.

They now face four teams in the top eight in the coming weeks.