SCREWFIX PREMIER DIVISION: MELKSHAM Town manager Nigel Tripp thanked former striker Gary Banks for motivating his team to victory on Saturday.

Banks launched an attack on his former teammates after making the move to Calne Town, and Tripp believes a lot of his players were determined to prove him wrong.

He said: "To be honest I think a lot of the players were motivated by what he said about us."

Banks said the club is going downhill and accused Tripp of bringing in players who were not up to the grade but Tripp said: "I will worry about that when he has played 20 years in the Screwfix League rather than just 20 games.

"Gary Banks was not even in the first team set up so if I have brought in such poor quality players what does that say about him?"

Goals from Neil Thomas and Simeon Allison gave Melksham the three points against third placed Brislington although the result was marred by a leg injury to goalkeeper Craig Guthrie. He had to be replaced by centre back Dan Harvey in goal with ten minutes of the match left and later received 11 stitches to his leg wound.

After a quiet opening it was Brislington who looked the more likely to score but Melksham's defence, superbly marshalled by Jason Lunt who was returning from injury held firm.

Guthrie made a good save to deny Gary Cocks while another Brislington attack saw Tom Collett head over the bar.

Melksham took the lead on 37 minutes when Simeon Allison was sent clear on goal by Dean Ranger. The midfielder squared the ball across for the inrushing Thomas to fire home.

Allison made it 2-0 on 58 minutes when after some good work by Thomas he rounded the keeper to slot the ball into the empty net.

Even when Guthrie was replaced by defender Harvey, Melksham stood firm and the replacement keeper managed to come out and collect a couple of crosses.

Tripp said: "He is only 18 and showed a lot of bottle going in goal for us at that stage of the game."