MANAGER Darren Perrin was left lamenting two controversial calls by the officials after Melksham Town surrendered their unbeaten start to the new league season in a 3-1 defeat at Bristol Manor Farm on Saturday.

Gary Higdon cancelled out Jake Cox’s early opener for Manor Farm but Perrin then felt his side were denied the opportunity to take control of the game before the break.

Claims for a handball in the box went unpunished by the referee, while the Melksham chief also believed the hosts were fortunate not to have a man sent off following a foul by Iain Harvey.

With the scores level at the interval, there was still little to choose between the teams in the second half until Manor Farm struck twice in the dying stages through Ben Bament and Cox’s second.

“Over the 90 minutes, I would say they deserved to win but the game did hinge on what we felt were two very contentious decisions,” said Perrin.

“There were two decisions in the five minutes before half-time that went against us. The first was for a handball by their player in the box which was a nailed-on penalty, and then the next was one of their players was cautioned for a foul when it was a red card all day long.

“If that doesn’t happen and the decisions go for us, then it’s a different game.

“We got what we were expecting up there, which was a very hard game, and you need a bit of luck to go with you when it’s like that and on occasions where maybe it has in the past, this time it didn’t.

“But overall I think they were marginally the better side and they scored two goals in the last nine minutes to win a tight game, so you have to say fair play to them.”

The match was Melksham’s sixth in a row on the road in the league as work on their new ground is completed in the early months of the season.

Perrin’s side have collected four wins and a draw in that time and the manager is just hoping they can continue their form for as long as possible.

“I think it’s catching up with us a little bit having all these away games. We seem to be on the road every three or four days, which is tough when people are getting away from work to play and things like that,” said Perrin.

“We have just got to get on with it. We have done well so far and the more points we can pick up in these away games, the better position we will be in later in the season.

“There’s still a long way to go but if you keep averaging two points a game all season then you shouldn’t be too far away from the top three or four come the end of the year.”

Elsewhere, Bradford Town were 3-1 winners at home to Bitton.

Matthew Morris gave Danny Greaves' side a 1-0 lead at the break at Trowbridge Road, while Dan Cottle and Mike Reaney were also on target in the second half.