NICK Ridout fired Melksham Town Reserves into the Senior Knockout Cup final with a 4-3 extra time win away at Trowbridge Wanderers.

With a pulsating semi-final seemingly set to be decided on a penalty shoot-out, Ridout popped up with his second goal of the game to snatch victory for Melksham late on.

Steve Burns’ side also had Ridout to thank for getting them into extra time, as he bagged an equaliser to make it 3-3 five minutes from the end of normal time.

Ash Barnett and Tom Jones were also on target for Melksham, who will now face Ludgershall Sports in the final on May 2 after they saw off FC Chippenham Youth 3-2 in the other last-four clash – a game that also went to extra time.

Boss Burns said: “It was a really good game. Trowbridge Wanderers are a good side and have had some good results of late so we knew it would be tough.

“We weren’t really panicking at 3-2 down because we were all over them. We’d had a few chances already and had the better of the play. We kept pressing and kept going for it and never gave up.''

Malmesbury Victoria took advantage of previous league leaders Melksham’s cup distraction to climb to the top of the table with an emphatic 5-1 win away at Devizes Town Reserves.

Goal difference is all that separates Malmesbury, Melksham and third-placed Ludgershall, but Vics have played the fewest games and Burns thinks it is unlikely that his side will be sitting top of the pile come the end of the season.

“We’ve given up on winning it. We just want to try to get as many points as we can to finish second,” said Burns. “Fair play to Malmesbury, they’ve put a great run of results together and don’t look like dropping any points.''

Elsewhere, Southbrook saw off bottom-of-the-table Vale of Pewsey 4-2, a scoreline matched by Wootton Bassett Town Development against Shrewton United.

Wroughton United beat Sarum Youth 2-1.