Although Shepton Mallet came up against a stronger Melksham side than the one they beat in a pre-season friendly, they were unfazed by the challenge they faced in the FA Cup.

Although the visitors enjoyed more of the ball and more chances, Melksham needed a dubious penalty in second half stoppage time to draw 1-1 and take the tie to a replay.

Liam Watson's first half goal nearly rewarded the battling hosts, whose efforts were cruelly dashed by the referee's call late on.

Shepton go again next Monday evening, and can hopefully upset the odds as they have done on their two previous visits to Melksham's fine new ground.

Melksham's Luke Ballinger hit a shot just too high early on, and after 20 minutes Callum Demkiv outpaced Shepton's Aaron Cockerill down the right before cutting in and hitting a strong angled shot that home keeper Tom Easterbrook was pleased to see go out for a corner after he tipped the shot on to a post.

Ballinger hit his next effort two yards too high, before Easterbrook made a fantastic save from a powerful Demkiv shot four minutes before the interval.

Shepton's game had been largely one of containment up to this stage, but the whole side and their defence in particular had been outstanding in restricting the visitors to the aforementioned four chances.

Their resilience paid off a minute before the break when a short corner saw Cockerill pick out Watson at the far post, whose downward header beat Liam Kingston in the Melksham goal, to give Shepton a half time lead.

A quiet third quarter followed, Shepton's Joe Morgan shooting two yards too high from Jack Fillingham's pass 10 minutes into the half, with the visitors creating little until a 67th minute free kick in a dangerous position.

Shepton's wall did its job however, and the next pressure did not come until the 77th minute, when Ballinger bore down on Easterbrook's goal, only for the keeper to make another outstanding point blank save to keep his side in front.

In the latter stages of the game every battling challenge by any Shepton player seemed to attract a free kick as the referee appeared to bend to the loud appeals, some genuine some certainly not, from the away dugout, and Shepton picked up three yellow cards in quick succession.

Then just when it seemed that their tremendous hard work had paid off came the sickening late call for a questionable foul by just one of many Shepton heroes on the day, Keiran Bailey on Ballinger, for Jack Ball to beat Easterbrook in stoppage time from the spot kick and take the tie to a replay.

The sponsors Man of the Match was Tom Easterbrook, but Andy Martin also had an outstanding game.

1. T.Easterbrook
2. B.Haines
3. A.Cockerill
4. K.Bailey
5. A.Martin
6. L.Watson.....scored one goal and was cautioned
7. F.Haines
8. C.Peck.....cautioned
9. J.Morgan
10. J.Fillingham
11. C.Loxton

J.Lovibond....cautioned

A.Seviour