Wanderers in late comeback

Jewson League Premier Division

Ipswich Wanderers 2 Great Yarmouth Town 2

A STUNNING fight back in the last 10 minutes ensured that Wanderers gained a point from this relegation battle. Despite starting well and forcing the visiting keeper Banham into a fine save to deny Howell, it was Yarmouth who took the lead on five minutes when Humphrey's shot was parried by Evans but Lamb followed up to net from close range.

Wanderers enjoyed the majority of possession for the remainder of the first half but a mixture of good goalkeeping and last-ditch tackling denied Howell, Burman and Smy from gaining an equaliser.

Just before the interval home keeper Evans produced a fine save to deny Humphrey from doubling the lead.

Yarmouth started the second half much better and Humphrey and McKinny came close before Darren Brown put Yarmouth further ahead on 75 minutes when the substitute fired past Evans from 25 yards out with a dipping effort.

Wanderers responded and a lifted through ball saw Smy beat Banham to the ball and from a tight angle he pulled a goal back.

Within two minutes Wanderers had levelled when a fine ball from Smy found substitute Hetherington who, despite seeing his initial effort blocked, followed up to net from a tight angle.

Bury Town 2 Stowmarket Town 2

BURY started this Jewson Premier derby strongly, forcing a string of corners on their left.

Ince had a fine chance to put them ahead but just failed to get his head to a Collins' chip to the far post.

Stowmarket survived the early pressure than surprised their opponents when they took the lead after 17 minutes.

Bury failed to clear their lines and the free-scoring Yeomans shot past Hill from the edge of the box.

Despite the absence of the indisposed Stringfellow, Bury hit back against a defence missing the injured Scoulding but the loss in midfield of the tenacious Ince with a hip injury after 20 minutes looked a set-back.

Manager Wilkins released youth player Miller off the bench for his first outing at senior level. The youngster proceeded to give a composed display throughout.

With half-time fast approaching the 18-year-old seized on a half clearance out of the Stowmarket defence and drilled it back towards goal.

Gary Newman was ideally placed in the six-yard box to deflect the ball past Nunn for a deserved equaliser.

After the break, both sides persisted with constructive football and continued to entertain a good attendance.

Bury went ahead for the first time when Trevor Newman got onto a cross at the far post and drove the ball goalwards.

Nunn could only push the ball back to him and the defender drove it into the top of the net for a 74th-minute lead.

As Stowmarket pushed forward, Bury could have made the game safe. Gary Newman and Tatham found themselves in a two-on-one against Langham but the defender's pace proved equal to the occasion. He cleverly took Newman away from goal to save a desperate situation.

At the other end Hill saved well for Bury at the cost of a corner which Barnard headed goalwards only for the ball to be scrambled away.

With the whistle about to blow, Jopling found himself with a half-chance just outside the Bury box. He drilled Stowmarket level with a powerful finish which gave Hill no chance.

AFC Sudbury 4 Mildenhall 0

A GOAL after just four minutes, from Gary Bennett, was the 100th league goal of the season for leaders Sudbury as they shrugged off two consecutive defeats.

Such was their dominance in the first half that keeper Nower was not called upon to make a single save.

The opener came when Bennett swooped after Thorpe could only block Devereux's shot with his feet.

With Mildenhall pinned in their own half Cheetham volleyed over, Thorpe saved Claydon's angled shot, and Howlett went close.

Claydon increased the lead just before half-time. Rayner's cross looked to be going out but, with his back to goal, the striker cleverly back-heeled the ball past Thorpe from the narrowest of angles.

Mildenhall finally forced Nower into his first save of the match at the start of the second half from a Pope free-kick, and he then blocked another free-kick from the same player before going full length to turn round a shot from Ogilvie.

Rayner made the game safe with a stunning low shot from 35 yards that flashed past Thorpe. The scoring was complete when another back-heel from Claydon was played on by Betson to Bennett who sidestepped a defender before slamming the ball home.

Felixstowe & Walton Utd 0 Fakenham Town 0

ULTIMATELY this point may not be enough to keep Felixstowe & Walton in the Premier Division but it could prove a vital result in the battle as the Seasiders denied their opponents a goal for the first time in 11 games and kept a clean sheet for only the second time this season in the league.

Felixstowe & Walton manager Paul Adams had demanded commitment from his players over the remaining games and he certainly got that on an afternoon where the only winner was the weather with a near gale-force wind blowing the length of the pitch for the whole 90 minutes.

With the wind at their backs in the first period the Seasiders should have made more of their possession but Lewis in the Fakenham goal was rarely called into direct action as the home side found it difficult to get the ball into the danger area with the Fakenham defence happy to hold out for a goal-less first half.

When the sides turned round it looked ominous for the home side with Fakenham having the advantage of the wind, but in similar vein to the first period the visitors found it difficult to create openings.

Ross Charters pulled off two top class saves inside a minute when first Dickerson and then Delicata drove in wind-assisted shots in the 51st minute, but that amounted to the only real danger that either side created.

However, Felixstowe & Walton might have grabbed a dramatic last-minute winner when Deasy got free on the right but was unable to find Howard with his cross.

Ipswich Wanderers 2 Great Yarmouth Town 2

A STUNNING fight back in the last 10 minutes ensured that Wanderers gained a point from this relegation battle. Despite starting well and forcing the visiting keeper Banham into a fine save to deny Howell, it was Yarmouth who took the lead on five minutes when Humphrey's shot was parried by Evans but Lamb followed up to net from close range.

Wanderers enjoyed the majority of possession for the remainder of the first half but a mixture of good goalkeeping and last-ditch tackling denied Howell, Burman and Smy from gaining an equaliser.

Just before the interval home keeper Evans produced a fine save to deny Humphrey from doubling the lead.

Yarmouth started the second half much better and Humphrey and McKinny came close before Darren Brown put Yarmouth further ahead on 75 minutes when the substitute fired past Evans from 25 yards out with a dipping effort.

Wanderers responded and a lifted through ball saw Smy beat Banham to the ball and from a tight angle he pulled a goal back.

Within two minutes Wanderers had levelled when a fine ball from Smy found substitute Hetherington who, despite seeing his initial effort blocked, followed up to net from a tight angle.

Dereham Town 0 Clacton Town 2

CLACTON boss Mick Potter opted to rest some players ahead of tomorrow night's League Cup semi-final with Norwich United, but the Essex side still returned home with all the points.

The strong wind threatened to ruin the game and the visitors, with the gale at their backs in the first 45 minutes, were camped in the Dereham half.

An inswinging Shane Bailey free-kick forced Dereham's Mark Adams to head just wide of his post for a corner, and then a second free-kick saw the left-footed ace force a fine save from John West.

The second half saw the Seasiders click up a gear but Dereham, now with the advantage of the wind, missed what was a golden opportunity to take the lead.

Clacton defender Hudson was adjudged to have made a back pass to the keeper and, with the visitors still arguing, Dereham quickly took the free-kick and should have struck into an open net, but Hudson was alert and cleared.

The visitors broke the deadlock in the 65th minute when Neil Shade broke down the right and hit a square ball to an unmarked Bailey, who made no mistake from 16 yards.

The game was finished off when the best move of the match, from deep inside the Clacton half, resulted in Jimmy Clewley shooting from an acute angle. It was initially blocked, but fell neatly back to Clewley for a second attempt that found the back of the Dereham net.

Gorleston 0 Harwich & Parkeston 1

A SECOND-HALF strike from young utility player Michael Brothers was enough to secure an unexpected win for struggling Harwich at Gorleston's Emerald Park ground.

With the strong wind behind them the home side dominated the first half, laying siege to the Harwich goal but found Shrimpers' keeper Rob Tanner in inspired form.

The home side suffered a setback just before the break when their keeper Shaun Cooper, who had been a virtual spectator in the first 45 minutes, fell awkwardly and was unable to take any further part.

Harwich made the decisive breakthrough on 56 minutes. The home side lost possession and the visitors broke forward down the left. Brothers made an intelligent run into the box and was on hand to convert a well-aimed left-wing cross.

MALDON Town lost 1-0 at home to second-placed Lowestoft.