SOCCER: Melton St Audry's, who have still to re-stage their match against Grundisburgh that they 'won' 2-0, have had the last laugh in their dispute with neighbours Woodbridge Athletic.

By Elvin King

MELTON St Audry's, who have still to re-stage their match against Grundisburgh that they 'won' 2-0, have had the last laugh in their dispute with neighbours Woodbridge Athletic. They have beaten them twice inside the last few weeks.

Melton's joint player-manager, Simon Fryatt, was found to have been ineligible for the autumn Grundisburgh game as he was still officially on Athletic's books.

St Audry's were found to have done nothing wrong and the league admitted it was their administration error – but repercussions went on for some time between the Metaltec SIL Senior Division neighbours.

Last month it was Fryatt who scored the only goal when Saints beat Athletic and last Saturday central defender Tom Palmer headed the solitary goal to win the return fixture. He had only transferred from Athletic the day before!

"Relations are improving but are still a bit fraught," said St Audry's chairman Phil Fairbrother today. "We have got what we wanted – six points."

Adam Smith moved in the opposite direction last Friday and played for the losing Athletic side.

For Palmer it was a fairytale debut.

Meanwhile, Fairbrother has hit out at criticisms made by some Jewson League clubs about SIL facilities.

He stormed: "We played at Haverhill Rovers in the quarter-finals of the Suffolk Senior Cup and found their pitch a disgrace.

"They beat us 4-2 and we have no complaints about that, but nowhere in the senior section of the SIL are facilities anyway near as bad.

"It looks as though the Haverhill ground and changing rooms have not been touched for about 50 years. The pitch was like a ploughed field and there was mildew up the walls in the changing rooms.

"Our team had to have a strip wash with a bucket placed in the communal bath. The bath would have taken all night to fill and did not look very appealing.

"Haverhill were good hosts and they deserve to be playing Kirkley in the Senior Cup final – the two best sides at our level in the county – while the Haverhill programme is first class.

"Give me SIL facilities any day."

STANTON, who have made a remarkable surge in recent weeks after a run of defeats, are in line to take the Metaltec SIL senior club of the month trophy away from title favourites Walsham-le-Willows.

Both clubs have been nominated for February and will know their fate at the Bourne Vale Social Club, Ipswich on March 13.

Crane Sports and Whitton Maypole are the nominated pair for the junior award. Dennington will pick up the best performance of the month award.