Exmouth Town will travel to Melksham Town this Saturday to play their first ever game in the Southern League.

Last season, Melksham finished eighth in the league with 15 wins and eight draws from their 36 games played, including a 4-3 home success and a creditable 1-1 away draw over eventual league winners Plymouth Parkway.

Town last played Melksham in September 2020, when Melksham were victorious 2-0 in the FA Cup.

On Wednesday evening Town will host Wimborne Town, kick off 7.45pm. The Dorset side were relegated from the Premier Division last season.

Last Saturday, Town exited from this season’s FA Cup when they went down 2-1 To Buckland Athletic before a crowd of 216.

Town made the perfect start with a well worked goal after only five minutes. A flick pass from Aarron Denny found Ben Steer in space and he made no mistake. As Town continued to dominate, Steer had another effort saved at the near post, Callum Shipton had a 20-yard drive cleared off the line and Jordan Harris dragged a shot wide when well positioned.

After 23 minutes, Steer had the ball in the net again but the assistant’s flag was raised for offside. The referee then called for a drinks break and this seemed to change the whole course of the game.

For the remainder of the half Buckland were in the ascendency, scoring the equaliser on 34 minutes. A cross from the left took a slight deflection and Ryan Bush, who had scored in both of the hosts league games in the past week was on hand to head home from close range.

Town’s failure to close down the cross was repeated two minutes before the break when they allowed a player to advance and strike home a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

There was little to choose between the sides in the second half but neither ‘keeper was unduly troubled. Town did press hard in the final ten minutes and had several shots blocked but were unable to create any clear-cut chances, their closest effort a Tom Gardner header that dropped the wrong side of the crossbar.