Melton Town 3 Ashby Ivanhoe 1

Ashby Ivanhoe fell to a strong second half Melton performance as the hosts stretched their winning run to seven league matches.

The visitors started the match on the front foot and Sam Grouse had them ahead inside the opening 10 minutes.

James Harrison found space on the edge of the box and played a sideways pass to Grouse who was able to send the sprawling goalkeeper the wrong way and find the bottom corner.

Melton had much of the possession before the break, looking comfortable with the ball, However it was Harrison who came closest to the next goal as his shot inside the six-yard box was deflected narrowly wide, preventing a certain goal.

Melton looked an entirely different proposition after the restart, attacking with far more aggression and tenacity than in the first half. Looking to hold onto their lead, Ivanhoe began to play on the counter attack.

Ivanhoe's strong resistance was broken on the hour mark by a brilliant strike from midfielder Ryan Calver.

Driving with the ball, he unleashed a right footed shot which arrowed into the top left corner, delighting the 'Pork Pie Army'.

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The match continued in similar fashion after the goal, Melton looking to take the lead and a fatiguing Ivanhoe hoping to catch them on the break.

The hosts pressure would pay off as Tyreace Palmer, Melton's loanee striker from Notts County, headed in a decisive second 12 minutes from time after being picked out by a floated cross from the right.

Ivanhoe came agonisingly close to an instant equaliser. Looking for his second of the game, Grouse drove towards goal, seeing his first shot cleared off the line and his rebound scrambled against the post and out in an unbelievable stroke of bad luck for Ashby.

Melton put the game out of reach in the dying embers, dispossessing Jack Robinson and converting from close range through Kairo Edwards-John, who had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes.

Ashby can ill afford to dwell on the defeat as next week sees them on the road again to face Lincoln United.

Lincoln sit joint top of the table having played a match less than Sherwood Colliery, and will provide a huge challenge for Andy Gray's side.