DARREN Perrin is pleased Melksham Town have their fate entirely in their own hands as their season reaches a crescendo on two fronts.

Saturday's 3-0 home win over Bridport kept the Oakfields men on course for runners up spot behind runaway Toolstation League Premier Division leaders Bristol Manor Farm while Buckland Athletic arrive in Wiltshire for the quarter final of the Les Phillips Cup this weekend.

Luke Ballinger scored twice to add to Dave Thompson's effort against Bridport, keeping Melksham in third, a point behind Street whom they host a week on Saturday, one of five out of six league matches on home turf before the end of the campaign.

Perrin said: "It's back to back clean sheets and it means it's all in our own hands, which gives us an opportunity at the end of the season.

"There is plenty to play for over the last four or five weeks and we know that if we win those games, we will get that runners up spot.''

Melksham have applied to go up into the Southern League, but with Street and fourth-placed Buckland doing likewise, the race for second spot will be well contested before the season's end.

Perrin added: "Hopefully the club should find out soon if it has met the necessary ground grading (for the Southern League) and then we can see if there's the possibility of being promoted.

"But with Street and Buckland also going for it, that's all immaterial unless we get that second spot.

"The chance is there but there is the nice distraction of a cup tie with Buckland this weekend.''

Danny Greaves admitted Bradford Town paid the price for one of their poorest halves of the season as their final hope of silverware this season was extinguished on Saturday.

The Trowbridge Road men fell to a 2-1 defeat at Gillingham, who booked a Les Phillips Cup last-eight tie at Roman Glass St George this weekend, leaving the visitors pot-less from what has been in general a decent campaign.

Harry Baker opened the scoring for the home side after 10 minutes, sliding his shot under Bradford keeper Jamie Bartlett and he doubled his tally to put the Gills well in control just before half-time.

Bradford improved after the interval and had a penalty appeal for a challenge that left Matt Morris needing to be carried from the field waved away before Karim Rendall pulled a goal back with five minutes remaining, but Kurt James saw red in injury time for a second bookable offence to compound the visitors' woes.

Greaves admitted: "It was probably one of our poorest performances of the season, especially in the first 45 minutes and we didn't deserve to get anything our of it really.''