Last minute winner!

Taylor Bunnage scored a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time.

Long Melford returned to winning ways against in-form Halesworth Town who had won their previous five matches.

Match report from Jordan Maynard:

This was a great comeback from Martin ‘Macca’ McConnell’s squad, who have put a massive dent into Halesworth’s playoff hopes in last night’s victory for Melford!

Having missing the two Brandon’s (McKay & Sailsbury) and Club Captain, Jacob Brown, the squad adapted very well to missing the absentees in last nights game in East Suffolk. In Jacob Brown’s absence, it was the experienced defender, Alfie Carroll who took the armband.

The first half was a good battling half for both sides. The game was then impacted slightly for both teams as the wind picked up massively, with Halesworth being 20 minutes from Southwold, the coastal wind made it a very blustery night. Melford had more of the shots, but yet could not find a finish.

On 38 minutes, it was Halesworth that took the lead. Tane Backhouse takes the Halesworth free kick, its punched away by Melford goalkeeper, Ben Moye – after the punch Halesworth get the ball down in the box to find SHAUN WHITEMAN, who fires a shot towards goal, it takes a slight deflection off a Melford defender and finds the back of the net.

Melford knew they had work to do and did not want to travel a 78 mile round trip with a disappointing loss.

Second half, Melford were kicking off towards the end where the clubhouse is positioned – this is where the wind got most of the goal kicks or long balls for Melford. Both teams had their share of attempts on goal and battling to stop the ball going in the net.

On 78 minutes, pacey winger, Charlie Glover drove through on goal marvellously to the right side of the net, where he performed a CR7 style chop – Glover then shoots, his shot is saved but bounces back into TAYLOR BUNNAGE, who kicks it into the Halesworth defender’s foot and its powerful enough for the defender to put it in his own net!

Halesworth then get more aggressive and have a lot more shots on target and win more fouls. There was a goal mouth scramble where Halesworth thought they had scored – Melford captain for the night, Alfie Carroll became the hero, but at a cost of him taking the football right square in the face from the goal line. Carroll was chivalrous and carried on playing the rest of the game.

Then on 90+5 minutes, an overhit through ball by a Melford player found TAYLOR BUNNAGE, who gets to the ball quickly and finishes first time, and the ball rockets into the bottom left hand corner of the goal!

A well deserved 3 points for the Villagers, while this is a result that dents Halesworth’s play off hopes.

Now a weekend off for the Villagers, we return to The KBS Groundworks Stadium as the lads take on Wivenhoe Town on the 4th of April.

MELFORD SQUAD: Ben Moye (GK), Jahjah Straw, Toby John, Jamie Barclay, Alfie Carroll (Captain), Taylor Bunnage, Charlie Glover, Harry Whiting-Noakes, Kieran Waller, Konnor Oughton, Kyran Cooper.

SUBS USED: Rio Simpson, Luca Enderby, Jack Utting. SUB UNUSED: George Bareham

Match report and photo by Jordan Maynard.