The match, played in front of sizable Castle Road crowd, was particularly significant as it marked Gareth Blackborow’s 400th senior appearance for the club - a remarkable milestone for the front row veteran.

The visitors wasted no time asserting themselves, crossing the try line within the first two minutes. Salisbury responded with a penalty from fly-half Ollie Bate in the sixth minute. However, Melksham maintained their attacking momentum, notching up another unconverted try. Their powerful backline dominated the midfield.

Salisbury secured a foothold in the contest midway through the first half when hooker Baz Ramsay finished a well-executed driving maul with a try. Bate added the extras but Melksham remained dominant in the midfield, adding a penalty and another unconverted try before the break to establish a 10 – 22 halftime lead.

Melksham struck immediately after the restart, extending their lead to 10 - 27 with a converted try from their pacey winger Emosi Nadaubale. Salisbury mounted a spirited fightback helped by the opposition being reduce to 14 men by a yellow card. Dom Porter’s determined carry saw him crash over for a try on 46 minutes, and 10 minutes later, Rob Crossley cut through a yawning gap in the hosts’ defence to score under the posts. With Bate converting, Salisbury clawed themselves back to within five points, igniting hopes of a comeback at 22 - 27.

Melksham were restored to 15 men entering the final quarter and reasserted their dominance. Again, they bossed the midfield and ran in two further converted tries, alongside a penalty that put the game beyond reach. Their clinical execution aided by some poor defensive tackling ensured a convincing 22 - 44 victory.

Salisbury remain in fifth place in Counties 1 Tribute Southern with one league fixture remaining - an away clash against Royal Wootton Bassett on 5 April. With promotion out of reach, the team will shift their focus to the Papa John’s Men’s Community Cup (Counties 1 South), where they will face either Swanage & Wareham or Eastleigh on 26 April.
Despite the result, Gareth Blackborow (pictured) put in yet another impressive shift showing incredible dedication to Salisbury RFC in his 400th senior appearance.

Joe Cooper
Picture: John Palmer