JEWSON SOCCER: Stowmarket 1 Wroxham 2. League leaders Wroxham ground out another three points as the Suffolk side failed to recover after conceding a goal in the second minute.

JEWSON SOCCER

JEWSON LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Stowmarket 1 Wroxham 2

LEAGUE leaders Wroxham ground out another three points as the Suffolk side failed to recover after conceding a goal in the second minute.

The home side recalled both Yeomans and Mayes to the starting line-up but were on the back foot when Hilton shot the visitors ahead in a crowded goalmouth after two previous efforts had failed to hit the target.

Just as Stowmarket seemed to be getting a foot hold into the match the visitors doubled their lead in the 35th minute when Lemmon tapped in from close range following a build-up down the right-hand side.

Stowmarket gave themselves hope for the second-half when after Platt's cross was pushed out by Parsons, Stowmarket's leading scorer Jopling shot home for his 17th goal of the season.

The bulk of the second-half play saw Stowmarket enjoying plenty of possession without adding to their tally and they failed with two clear-cut efforts which would have salvaged a point.

Undoubtedly their best chance fell to Yeomans and after Jopling and Whatling had carved out the opening Yeomans' finish was disappointing with Wroxham's defence caught out. The Norfolk side remained a threat in attack and home keeper Nunn denied Fox a third goal for the visitors.

In heavy conditions both sides utilised their quota of substitutes and one of the Stowmarket subs, Pannell, headed wide from a Whatling cross in the dying stages.

With Stowmarket pushing forward they nearly conceded a goal when Stock kept in a stray ball and pulled the ball back for Lewis who saw his effort blocked and then Wroxham substitute Fletcher tried his luck from distance.

Woodbridge Town 0 Tiptree United 1

BOTH these sides were under full strength on an afternoon just right for football, but it was Tiptree who called the tune for much of the match.

On 15 minutes they had two good chances, Chapman driving just wide and then Davis shooting over from the edge of the area when well-placed.

Dangerous frontman Cogger, who was to prove a thorn in the side of the hosts' all afternoon, had his first chance after cutting inside and shooting over, and just after this – on 24 minutes – Woodbridge produced their first meaningful effort at goal, Phillips sending a low effort across the six-yard box.

This seemed to pep up the hosts, and Curtis set up Miller only for the latter to shoot over, and then Curtis himself shooting wide after good work from Calver and Phillips.

With half-time looming Miller's free-kick was very close to levelling matters, and Bavester was forced to tip over Calver's shot. There were more than enough signs that the Woodpeckers could stage a second-half revival.

They certainly started positively enough, Phillips causing problems with an acrobatic effort that went just over, and then setting up Curtis for an effort that was blocked.

At the other end though, Cogger gave a warning to the hosts by beating three men and shooting over, and then making the breakthrough. A burst down the left ended with him shooting home.

Chapman then wasted a glorious chance to extend the lead with 13 minutes to go, smashing the ball high over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Lowestoft Town 2 Bury Town 0

A HARDWORKING Bury Town side fought hard to keep the free scoring Lowestoft attack at bay in an even first 45 minutes. Lowestoft had enjoyed more of the possession but found the visitors' defence in resolute form with keeper Bugg handling the ball well.

Durrant and Pike both went close for Lowestoft with Stringfellow creating the best chance for Bury. As the first half came to a close the Lowestoft attack went close on a number of occasions.

The breakthrough finally came in the 52nd minute from a rather harsh and disputed penalty. Gary McGee fell as he raced into the area although there didn't seem to be much contact. Stokeld stepped up to convert the spot kick to put Lowestoft ahead.

Within minutes it took a splendid save from Hitcham to deny Bury an equaliser as he saved superbly from Thompson after a partial clearance had rebounded into the path of the Bury man. Lowestoft added a second goal in the 61st minute as a right-wing cross was cleared only as far as Poppy, who controlled the ball before striding forward to shoot home just inside a post from 20 yards.

Harwich & Parkeston 0 Diss Town 8

A TOTALLY inept second-half display saw Harwich & Parkeston completely overrun by visiting Diss Town. Harwich had the better of the exchanges during the first 20 minutes of the match but later paid the price for missing a host of scoring chances.

The best of these came from Craig Chaplin, who fired inches wide of an empty net following a fine through ball from Lee Race. Brothers and Clark were also guilty of missed chances as the home side continued to probe the Diss defence.

On 33 minutes a terrible defensive blunder allowed Andrew Key to pick his spot then nine minutes later Dale Vince found himself unmarked at the far post to hammer home a well aimed cross.

After a brief flurry of goalbound efforts at the start of the second half had failed to trouble the Diss defence, Harwich simply fell apart. Key grabbed his second and his side's third on 64 minutes following a mistake by Harwich goalkeeper Rob Tanner.

A minute later it was 4-0. The Harwich defence was nowhere to be seen as Lee Gilman strode forward to drive the ball into an open goal.

With the Harwich team shell-shocked and in disarray Diss went on to help themselves to another four easy goals. Richards netted twice whilst Barzey and Lindsey also got their names on the scoresheet.

As the scoreline suggest Halstead were a well-beaten side and a couple of Steve McGavin free kicks that missed the target were the best they could muster during the closing stages.

Ipswich Wanderers 1 Dereham Town 0

THE 100th goal of Aren Howell's Wanderers career was enough to earn the home side all the points in this hard fought, but deserved, win.

Dereham opened the game brightly and Parr and Barrett came close early on. Parr then blazed over from close range before Wanderers gradually worked their way into the game and on 34 minutes Hetherington played a fine ball through to Howell, who lifted the ball over West before tapping the ball into the net.

A minute later Wanderers almost doubled the lead when Donald George flashed a header wide. Dereham came out looking for an equaliser after half time but found Donald George and Mark Goldfinch in commanding form at the back.

Wanderers played some sharp counter-attacking football and Baker came close with a long-range drive.

Ely City 1 Clacton Town 4

AS the game kicked off, the fog thickened, making it a poor spectacle as the supporters that braved the chilling afternoon, were hardly able to see play, or indeed the ball.

In fact, it was only the players celebrating that enabled the crowd to work out the scores.

With Clacton fielding their strongest side this season, with only Burgess missing, new signing Maglone from the Ipswich Town Academy started with the No. 11 shirt.

Within the first five minutes, Clacton's Brown played some neat football, resulting in a cross that was well met by Sean Hillier, but the keeper claimed his header with ease.

With the Seasiders applying constant pressure, the home team conceded a corner on the 10th minute, from which Ely broke away. Lippiat sprinted down the right, and as the visitors were fast backtracking, he crossed to Moyes who tapped into an empty net.

The Seasiders pressed for the equaliser, but Ely always looked dangerous on the counter, until the 37th minute, when the visitors were awarded a penalty.

Ian Brown received the ball in the Ely box, but as he cleverly turned his marker, he was blatantly obstructed. Sean Hillier duly converted to bring the scores level.

The second half was a different affair. Clacton stepped up another gear and began controlling the game. Ely's keeper Banthorpe was kept busy, pulling off two fine saves early on to keep his side in the match.

With the referee stopping the game on every contact, it was obvious the crowd was not going to witness a flowing match.

It took until the 73rd minute for the visitors to take the lead through Maglone, who doubled his tally three minutes later with a skilful lob over the keeper.

With a safe two-goal lead, and one-way traffic, the coldest man on the pitch was Darren Gould between the Clacton sticks.

With some late substitutions, Matty Waters came on for Ian Brown, and in the 88th minute, a great ball from midfield saw Waters break the offside trap and unleash a powerful strike into the back of the net.

It was a good afternoon's work and it now looks like the young Seasiders can climb away from danger.

Newmarket 1 Maldon Town 0

Under a blanket of thick fog, Newmarket scored the only goal of the game on five minutes through Paul Stokes.

JEWSON LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

Long Melford 2 Stanway Rovers 2

A MINUTE'S silence was observed before this match in memory of Nick Roche, who died last week while playing for a Long Melford team.

It was a patched-up home side that took to the pitch, missing three players.

But they made a terrific start, taking the lead on eight minutes when an excellent cross from Mumford was headed home by Darren Judd at the far post.

The visitors were unlucky when an effort from Bate was cleared off the line but at the other end Brind headed into the side netting.

When Melford conceded a free kick on the edge of their box Springett's perfect delivery was headed home by Schultz.

The hosts regained the lead when Adam Kemp flicked on and Dean Stalker fired home from 20 yards.

With 17 minutes to go the visitors from Essex got a deserved equaliser when Bate prodded home from close range.

Needham Market 2 March Town United 4

NEEDHAM started at a canter and if they had taken a couple of the chances presented to them they would have won by a good margin. As it was Lee Briggs and Marc Wake missed gilt-edged chances to open the scoring.

Then the home team were guilty of a poor clearance from a corner only going just outside the area to visiting player Hutchcraft who drilled a great drive past the bemused Kevin Holland.

Needham's equaliser had a stroke of luck about it as Climpson guided Wake's corner past his own keeper. But this was short lived as McCullum gave March the lead again before half time with a well-placed header.

After the break Needham upped the tempo and again missed good chances before Marc Wake headed home Neil Cole's cross to level the scores.

March, to their credit, then went looking for a winner and sloppy play from the home defence allowed McCullum to get the final touch near the goal line to get that vital lead.

McCullum completed his hat-trick with a powerful header from the impressive Richardson's cross to put the game beyond Needham's reach.

Swaffham 1 Whitton Utd 4

WHITTON won the midfield battle ground to release their speedy attackers to do the damage. The win was built from the back. Strong, resolute and dogged in the tackle.

Taking the game to Swaffham from the start Swann's excellent turn and shot opened the scoring on 12 minutes. The second was via a Layton penalty after Gayfer was held during a dangerous free kick from Francis.

The third oozed class, Swann flicked to Grimwood who in turn slid in Hurd to smash his trademark finish low across the keeper. The last attack of the half saw Wright, Swann and Grimwood have scoring chances blocked in desperation.

An Everett second-half header wrapped up the points. Swaffham never gave an inch and contributed to a good game scoring a late penalty through Leggett.

Felixstowe & Walton 2 Cambridge City Res 3

THERE was another defeat for the Seasiders on Saturday but on the evidence of this performance they are close to turning things round after outplaying Cambridge City for long periods of the game and having what looked a perfectly good goal ruled out.

The only goal of an even first half came on 29 minutes when Thacker struck a low shot past Charters after he had been allowed to turn on the angle of the area.

The second half produced plenty of entertainment for the Seasiders' best home gate of the season with the game looking anything but bottom against top as Felixstowe & Walton took the game to Cambridge, producing some top-quality football.

In the 57th minute they looked to have gained their reward when Pacey fumbled a cross for Moss to stab the ball home from close range but the referee awarded a free kick to the visitors although it was a defender who had forced the error and such is the Seasiders luck at present that it was Cambridge who extended their lead with 10 minutes left.

Charters parried Thacker's initial effort from Pell's cross but the striker headed the rebound over Charters to give them what looked an uncatchable lead but it was the start of a dramatic 10-minute spell that brought three goals.

Fuller headed against the woodwork before substitute Etti pulled a goal back from close range with five minutes left and two minutes later it was all square as Robbie Fuller finished a sweeping move with low shot past Pacey.

With the home side pushing forward they were caught square at the back and Herring slid the ball home from Thacker's low cross to give his side a late winner.

There was almost a further twist as Etti saw his header go agonisingly wide of a post in injury time and Fuller fired into the side netting from a tight angle with Cambridge hanging on for the final whistle.

Halstead 3 Thetford Town 0

AFTER their last three games were postponed Halstead Town bounced back with a solid performance that produced a three-goal victory margin, which could have been doubled had it not been for the display of Paul Snowden, in goal for the Norfolk visitors.

Despite both sides having a man dismissed it was certainly not a tough game with Grant Strong and Dave Richards undeservedly being shown the red card, for nothing more than an innocuous shoving match in midfield, which referee Jim Pope of Braintree could easily have dealt with a quiet word.

The home side called the tune, forcing five corners in succession, before finally making the break through on 15 minutes. A great move down the left saw Robbie Welham find Taylor, whose right-foot drive hit a post and Jimmy Chatters, back from injury, snapped up the rebound in typical style.

On the right flank the tricky footwork of Strong had Thetford in all sorts of muddles, but right on the interval the visitors nearly drew level when home keeper Lloyd Pentney saved at full length from a low drive by Tom Smith through a crowded penalty area.

On the turnaround Thetford showed great spirit, but they failed to prise open the home defence, then on the hour came the double dismissal. From the restart of play Halstead burst away to double their lead when substitute Carl Metson, on for Robbie Welham, shot home.

Halstead took up the game again as the fog descended on Rosemary Lane making visibility very difficult, however the visitors gradually ran out of steam and their fate was settled in the last minute when Taylor robbed skipper Mark Almond to run on and hammer a low shot inside the far post.