Kirkley & Pakefield vs Long Melford

Report

Following their midweek defeat at Newmarket, Melford faced the difficult task of again playing with a long list of unavailable players.

Missing from the already depleted squad at Newmarket were the injured Ben Judge and Hassan Ally. On the plus side back into the line up came the experienced trio of Sam Mills, Ross Waugh and Ashley Skeggs, with Cody Skeggs making his debut in goal to replace the Cup tied Matt Walker.

The home team kicked off down the slope with a fresh wind at their backs and for the opening 15 minutes they dominated proceedings without registering any shots on target. Attacking the Melford goal Connor Swan fired high and wide whilst Jack Herbert could not target his header from a corner.

Melford snapped into the action after 23 minutes, with Kyle Hurley crossing into the box, and youngster James Dormady heading straight at Jordan Smith in the Kirkley goal.

The flow of the game was punctuated by a number of niggly fouls, and from two Melford free kicks  George Day tested out Smith the home keeper. Play switched rapidly to the other end with Cody Skeggs making a good save from a George Barber effort.

Melford should have gone ahead after 39 minutes a loose ball came to Day five yards out but his shot was off target.

Reward, fully deserved, came for Melford on 41 minutes when the 18-year-old ALFIE PARNELL scored a spectacular goal with a shot into the wind from 35 yards.

All the second period Melford continued to impress, in one attack the Royals cleared off the goal line.  Despite Melford having much more of the ball they fell behind in soft circumstances, a short pass back put pressure on keeper Cody Skeggs and in attempting to clear he brought a Kirkley player down in the box. The penalty was converted by  MIGUEL LOPEZ  after 65 minutes.

Melford reacted strongly to the situation with Day firing a long range effort against the Kirkley bar, and in another Melford attack a shot hit the Kirkley goal post.

Pushing forward almost cost Melford the game a quick ball out of the Kirkley defence found  Kyle Haylock through on goal,  but Cody Skeggs advanced off his line to block the shot with his legs.

Towards the end of the game Melford felt very aggrieved, when the tricky James Dormady  was upended, it was thought by many in the box, but the referee awarded a free kick on the edge of the area, and again Day came close with the resultant free kick.

For Melford with such player availability difficulties this was an excellent performance, and hopefully more players will be back for the replay at Long Melford on Wednesday August 11^th kick off 7.45 pm. CHENOBERET

LONG MELFORD: Cody Skeggs, Callum Hemson,  Sam Mills, Jake Jackson,  Ross Waugh, Ashley Skeggs,  Kyle  Hurley,  Jacob Brown, George Day, Alfie Parnell,  James Dormady

Subs not used:  Evan Culmer, Charlie Holmes, David Hennessey, Elliot Walker