Match report by Kevin O'Brien

but they ran the home side close and just failed to take the tie into extra time at the end. They also knocked the ball round better than their hosts, whose long ball tactics ultimately paid off, but only just, due to their more clinical finishing.
Shepton were only denied a 13th minute lead by a superb save by Melksham keeper Rob Brown, who turned Jordan Townsley's header round the post after Kailin Gould had dispossessed Dave Thompson to set up Townsley's chance. However, Melksham took the lead with their own first real chance of the game five minutes later, after Mike Perrott beat Shepton full back Adam Flint and hit a low cross into the centre that eluded everyone except the predatory Gary Higdon at the far post who had an easy three yard tap in. And they could have very quickly stretched their advantage as the goal signalled a burst of home attacks that saw Leigh Rogers test Shepton keeper Steve Phillips who saved well, before Ben Thomson put another chance wide. Melksham's Dan Kovacs also had a couple of half chances before Gould and Townsley again combined well for Shepton for Brown to make a more comfortable stop from Townsley's header. Phillips saved another attempt from Rogers, and a couple of minutes before the break Townsley earned his side a corner, and Lee Davidson was agonisingly close to levelling the scoreline when his header from Ben Cleverley's cross came back off an upright, before the Melksham defence scrambled the ball clear.
Shepton started the second period strongly and in the 47th minute Cleverley's corner kick grazed the home crossbar, before Davidson's return ball into the middle was headed just wide by Townsley. The same player shot just wide a couple of minutes later, after a good run and cross from Ash Willmott, before the home side stirred again around the one hour mark and Thomson missed a good chance from Higson's pass. Perrott also went close but with 20 minutes to go Higdon put daylight between the sides with his and his team's second goal of the game, after he latched onto a punt upfield from Thompson and advanced before beating Phillips with a low angled drive from 20 yards. But two minutes later Shepton at last got their own deserved reward after the hard working Townsley picked up a loose ball 20 yards out, before his shot took a wicked deflection to beat Brown. The visitors pressed for an equaliser but were hit by another home goal from another quick break 10 minutes from time, as Kovacs charged down the left wing, and as Phillips rushed towards him he cut the ball back to Rogers who had an easy conversion to restore his side's two goal cushion. To their credit Shepton refused to throw the towel in, and with 4 minutes of normal time to play, Davidson hit a tremendous shot from fully 35 yards that beat Brown at his near post to silence the majority of the large crowd of 407 as the margin again reduced to a single goal. And the tie stayed on a knife edge to the very end, as Craig Loxton almost got a close range shot away in the last minute, and deep in stoppage time Gould could not quite get enough onto a close range shot at the far post, Brown diving to make one last save and prevent Shepton taking the tie into extra time, for Melksham to progress to the last 32. We wish them well.
A great effort from the lads, who could have won on another day and can hold their heads high.

Team

1. S.Phillips
2. A.Flint
3. L.Davidson.........scored one goal
4. H.Paice
5. L.Watson.....cautioned
6. J.Billing
7. B.Cleverley
8. C.Loxton
9. J.Townsley......scored one goal
10.K.Gould
11. A.Willmott

subs used
D.Stone and R.Mitchell