Town emerge from Trophy flare-up with a home tie

Melledew winner bags winners' purse and home draw after Frome have two players sent off

THATCHAM TOWN have been drawn at home to Weymouth after winning a feisty FA Trophy tie 1-0 at Frome Town to take their place in the Second Qualifying Round.

Weymouth knocked neighbours Hungerford out of the FA Cup recently, and will return to West Berkshire to tackle Thatcham at Waterside Park on Saturday, November 5.

Saturday's tie saw Evo Stik League Premier Division Frome have two players sent off, and although Thatcham got three into the book, they kept their composure to pocket the £2,200 winners' purse.

Frome had the first half edge as Thatcham came under an aerial and route one bombardment.

But they held out well, limiting the home side to two serious goal attempts that saw Paul Strudley save from Mike Perrott and Ben Thomson head over when well-placed. Thatcham had few openings before the interval, but that all changed afterwards.

Shane Kingston had already chipped over and Sean Cook had goalkeeper Darren Chitty scrambling before Tom Melledew fired home a 35-yard free kick winner only three minutes into the second period.

Josh Brigham put a header against the foot of a post and Sam Flegg made a vital block to deny Thomson before Frome lost their way in more ways than one. Brigham and Dean Evans were lucky to stay on and Thomson felled Kingston with an elbow before Matt Smith hauled down substitute Jemel Johnson and the last man was red-carded.

And with Thatcham running down time, Evans deliberately crashed into Melledew to merit his dismissal, and although Melledew should have added a second goal, Thatcham settled for completing a bruising passage.