MELKSHAM Town claimed a third Wiltshire Senior Cup triumph in four years when they stunned Salisbury at Hardenhuish Park this evening.

A stiff challenge looked in store for Darren Perrin's men against a Salisbury side managed by Steve Claridge and already crowned Wessex League Premier Division champions this season.

However, the men from the Conigre produced a display built on true underdog spirit and after surviving an early storm, snatched a deserved win with two goals in five second-half minutes through Joe Stradling and Gary Higdon.

Following a cagey opening, Melksham had the first real sight of goal after 10 minutes as a dangerous Luke Ballinger cross caused a brief moment of panic in the Salisbury box before being punched away by keeper Charlie Searle.

The Whites then had their first shot of the game soon afterwards but Adam Kelly was off-balance and ballooned his strike over the bar from the edge of the box.

Although Melksham battled gamely, Salisbury dictated the remainder of the half but a stubborn resistance from Perrin’s side kept them at bay.

Taurean Roberts looked the Whites’ biggest threat and sliced his first chance over the top at the back post following a deep Thomas Whelan corner.

A mistimed jump from Melksham captain Ryan Bennett then looked likely to cost his side midway through the first period as it allowed Roberts to race in on goal but keeper Rob Brown was quickly off his line quickly, stayed big and blocked it out for a corner.

Brown was in the action again when he got down well to smother a brilliant shot on the turn from Jamie White, while Claudio Herbert failed to make the most of Salisbury’s final chance before the interval when he fired into the side netting on the angle under pressure from Warren Maidment.

Melksham came out much more positively after the break and striker Higdon began to make a nuisance of himself with his height.

First, the Melksham front man headed over from a long Jeffery free-kick from halfway before he then meat a Ben Thomson corner which keeper Searle could not gather but George Colson was able to hook away the danger on the post.

Salisbury were still providing plenty of threat themselves and the dangerous Roberts cut in from the left and cracked in a shot but it was straight at Brown.

Melksham keeper Brown then pulled off a sublime double save as the clock ticked past the hour, getting down well to palm away a curling Adam Kelly effort from the edge of the box before picking himself up and deny Jamie White on the follow up.

Perrin’s men began to up the ante and broke the deadlock midway through the second half. A long Ballinger throw was gathered by Mike Perrott outside the box and his shot took a wicked deflection but fell perfectly to Stradling who poked home past Searle.

If their opener was fortuitous, then their second goal was simply superb as an amazing strike from Higdon doubled the lead. Ballinger found his man on the edge of the box and Higdon held off Whites skipper Elliott Wheeler, swivelled and loop an effort over Searle and into the net.

Salisbury attempted to rally but Brown was proving a one-man wall at the back and dived down low to turn a whipped Colson free-kick around the post with 10 minutes to go and keep his clean sheet intact.

The Whites’ most dangerous weapon still had one more effort up his sleeve as he cracked in a delicious effort but it – just like his side’s chances of a second piece of silverware – was narrowly off-target.

MELKSHAM TOWN: Brown, Ballinger, Jeffery, Bennett (capt), Maidment, Thompson, Stradling, Perrott, Higdon, Hulbert, Thomson. Subs: Benison, Shaftoe, Kovacs, Ibrahim, Forester.

SALISBURY: Searle, Colson, Perrett, Whelan, Wheeler (capt), Hart, Herbert, S Roberts, White, Kelly, T Roberts. Subs: Jarvis, Wilson, Mundy, Young, Demkiv.

Referee: Sam Allison

Attendance: 736