Return trip has happy ending (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Return trip has happy ending

THEY say you should never go back in life, but for Gareth Evans his return to Melksham Town is proving to be an inspired decision.

The goalkeeper left the Conigre early last season to step down a league to help Calne Town win promotion from the First Division but quickly followed manager Kelvin Highmore back to the Conigre just a few months later.

His move back to perennial strugglers Melksham raised a few eyebrows among those tipping Calne to surprise a few this season, but the form book so far has more than justified his move.

Melksham go into tomorrow's FA Vase second qualifying round tie at First Division Chard among the leading pack in the Toolstation League Premier Division while his former team-mates at Bremhill View are still struggling to get used to life in the top flight.

The first six weeks of this season have been very different from his past experiences at the Conigre, where he has been fighting against relegation, and he insists a lot of credit should go to new manager Highmore.

Evans said: "The change between how Melksham used to be and how they are now is unreal. It is hard to describe, but the whole atmosphere around the club has lifted.

"As Mick Perrin said last week there are more people watching and enjoying their football here again. Melksham Town are now becoming known as a good footballing side and that is great for everyone here.

"Kelvin has brought in a lot of new faces but incredibly he has brought in the right players and we have all gelled straight away. It is still early days and we are not getting carried away but he deserves all the credit in the world at the moment."

Melksham will go into tomorrow's tie as clear favourites, a tag not often given to them over the past couple of years, but Evans insists no one will be allowed to start feeling complacent.

He said: "We have to take every game as it comes. We will approach this tie the same as we have done all the other league matches.

"We have surprised a few people with how we have started and even though we were all aware of how good we could be, I don't think even we expected to start so well."