WILTSHIRE SENIOR CUP: ‘Tighten up’: Dave warns Melksham (From Wiltshire Times)

WILTSHIRE SENIOR CUP: ‘Tighten up’: Dave warns Melksham

5:20pm Friday 27th January 2012 in Sport

MELKSHAM Town chief Dave Clayton thinks that his side will need to sharpen up at the back if they want to come out on top in tomorrow’s clash with top-of-the-table Gillingham Town.

Third-placed Melksham travel to the league leaders off the back of conceding four goals in their Wiltshire Senior Cup quarter-final defeat to Shrewton United on Tuesday night.

Goals from Tom Robinson, Dave Percival and Dan Kovacs saw Town lead 3-2 but a quickfire double from the hosts in the second half turned the tie on its head.

“Gillingham will be tough and I think we need to find that balance between our football-playing defenders and out-and-out defenders,” said Clayton.

“We shouldn’t have lost the game (at Shrewton) but we were so in control that we kept a high line and forgot how to defend.

“We play some great stuff going forward but it’s just that other part that we need to get better at.”

Last Saturday, Dave Percival’s injury-time penalty snatched all three points for Melksham as they beat Oldland Abbotonians 2-1.

Matt Cooper got Town’s earlier goal but their manager admitted that they were lucky to win.

“We didn’t play that well at all and we were very fortunate,” said Clayton, who has a full-fit squad to pick from for tomorrow’s clash.