United Counties League: Six-goal Melton Town blitz Bourne

The Lincolnshire side started the day just two points adrift of Melton, but the hosts started at a high tempo at Digital Deadline Park and were unlucky not to earn a penalty after 30 seconds for a challenge on Palfreyman.

Tony Thorpe’s side continued to impose themselves with Jordan Cufflin-Stableford looking lively on the left, but after the opening 15 minutes the game became very tight with limited chances for both teams.

Melton’s only other decent effort came when Steve Truman turned the defender neatly, but blasted over from 12 yards.

Bourne had a good chance on the stroke of half-time with a free kick from 20 yards, but Munton blasted the set piece at the wall and Myring cleared the danger.

Captain Lee Mann was probably Melton’s best player in the first half looking very composed on the ball and not wasting any passes.

Tommy Byrne and Cufflin-Stableford switched flanks for the second half and this paid off when Byrne collected the ball on the left and drove past one midfielder and into the area where he was pulled back.

Ash Palfreyman placed the penalty into the right corner and sent the keeper the wrong way.

Melton soon added their second when Cufflin-Stableford sent an audacious chip over the keeper from 25 yards while surrounded by three opponents to score his third goal in two games.

Great play from Jack Baker in midfield played in Truman on the left and his first-time pass found Palfreyman who hit the ball first time past the advancing keeper.

Byrne then scored the goal of the game, and his first for the club, when he spotted the keeper off his line and let fly from 30 yards, beating the keeper with a fantastic lob.

Palfreyman then turned provider when he picked out Baker’s bursting run from midfield and laid a perfect ball into his stride. The Melton midfielder finished neatly with a good strike.

Baker then returned the compliment he burst down the left wing and played the ball back across the six-yard box for Palfreyman to complete his hat-trick with ease and notch his 14th goal in 13 matches.

Melton: King, Slater, Clayton, Mann, Lapworth, Myring, Baker, Byrne (Calver), Cufflin-Stableford, Truman (Smith), Palfreyman.

Potters Carpets’ Man-of-the-Match was Ash Palfreyman.

* Melton entertain Premier Division side Harborough Town on Tuesday (7.45pm kick-off) in round one of the League Cup. It will be the first match under the new floodlights at Digital Deadline Park.

They then return to league action on Saturday at Woodford United (kick-off 3pm) followed by a midweek trip to Thrapston Town on Tuesday, October 18 (ko 7.45pm).