MELKSHAM Town manager Darren Perrin took the positives from Tuesday night’s 3-3 draw with Odd Down after seeing his team give away a two-goal advantage to the reigning champions in the dying minutes.

Melksham were a goal to the good after 20 minutes through Ben Thompson, but the hosts pulled a goal back in first-half injury time when struck.

Adnan Hiroli then saw red for the visitors at the start of the second half and the visitors made the most of the extra man as they re-took the lead through Gary Higdon before Mike Perrett doubled their advantage.

Jake Hiscocks hit the post as he tried to put Melksham out of sight but in the 85th minute, it all fell apart for Perrin’s side.

Ashley McGrane pulled a goal back with five minutes left on the clock before Troy Simpson snatched a point two minutes later.

“If you had offered me that before the game, we would have taken a point against the reigning champions,” said Perrin. “But to be 3-1 up with six minutes to go against 10 men, we feel it is two points dropped.

“They had a player sent off for a deliberate elbow into one of our players’ faces and we have got totally on top and were in total control.

“Then in the 85th minute they scored from a corner and two minutes later they had scored from another corner.

“From that perspective, I was very disappointed to have conceded two set pieces but from a positive, to score three goals away to the champions, hit the woodwork and it was a marked improvement on our performance on Saturday.”

Melksham were knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend as United Services Portsmouth came from behind, Luke Ballinger having put the visitors ahead, to record a 2-1 win, with Kieran Baggs seeing red in the second half.

“We were the better side and had all of the possession but we were very complacent and you can arguably say that we got punished and got what we deserved in the end,” added Perrin, who will look to tighten up his back line before they travel to Chipping Sodbury Town on Saturday.

“Saturday was unacceptable but Tuesday night was better and more like ourselves. We have got to defend set pieces better and start defending better as a team.

“One of the things we have built our success on over the last two or three years is that we don’t give away a lot of goals.”