JEWSON SOCCER: A round-up of all the action from the Jewson League Premier Division.

JEWSON LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Newmarket Town 0 Ipswich Wanderers 2

SECOND half goals from Jamie Baker and Aren Howell earned Ipswich Wanderers three priceless points.

They are now seven points ahead of Felixstowe and Walton United, with the Seasiders having four games left. Bottom club Swaffham are nine points adrift of Wanderers with seven matches left.

While Felixstowe picked up a fine win at Lowestoft on Saturday – which made Wanderers' victory more important – Swaffham did not play following a road accident that killed one of their players last week.

Tom Marenghi was a regular member of a Swaffham side that has won three of its last five games and threaten to pull themselves free after being bottom of the table for most of the season.

A strong wind spoiled the game as a spectacle at Newmarket with Wanderers playing against the

elements in the opening half.

They defended well and although the home side struck the bar with a wind-assisted cross they held out without too many problems.

After the break, the visitors took control and midway through School of Excellence teenager Baker struck with a 22-yard half-volley that gave the keeper no chance.

Howell struck soon afterwards slipping the ball into the net following a through ball. Wanderers used two of their PASE scheme youngsters in their line-up with Sam Bartholomew up front and David Downs at the back.

Wanderers secretary Martin Head said: "It was not a good game for the spectators. But we worked hard and deserved to win.

"We are not safe yet but this win – against a mediocre Newmarket side – has put us in a good

position."

Wroxham 1 AFC Sudbury 1

THE belief that this title race will go right down the wire gained more ground after this disappointing encounter failed to live up to its pre-match billing as the great Jewson showdown of the season.

However gaining a point was a clear advantage for Sudbury, still one adrift of Wroxham who have played one match more.

Sudbury team boss Keith Martin who feared the Yachtsmen were set to complete the double, declared: "Winning anything at Wroxham is a bonus. We had the more difficult run in and just could not afford to give them three points."

Neither team mastered the brisk easterly breeze and rock hard ground conditions, this resulted in an aerial encounter punctuated by first-half gift goals for each side, although Sudbury's keeper Ben Nower earned the man of the match accolade with two top-drawer saves to deny Wroxham late in the game.

Sudbury went in front on the 31st minute when the home defence ball watched, allowing hot shot Sam Banya a chance he does not miss from six yards.

There was a touch of good fortunate about Wroxham's 44th minute equaliser when a free kick by Howes spun off the body of defender Rayner and dropped at the far post where home striker Russell Stock bundled the ball home.

After the break play became even more sporadic and frustration crept in, in the form of yellow cards for Sudbury's Spearing and Bishop and Wroxham's Pauling.

That was before Nower produced his party piece, fingertipping Howes' free kick around the upright and then saving a Terrington volley that came at him fiercely from less than eight yards.

Tiptree United 2 Dereham Town 0

TIPTREE recorded what was quite amazingly their first league win since December with some ease over Dereham on Saturday.

Despite the blustery conditions the Essex side played some of their best football for some time and a goal in either half saw them cruise to a 2-0 victory.

Neither side showed much invention during the early stages with players struggling to adapt to the conditions. Consequently there were many misplaced passes and over-hit through balls during the opening 10 minutes.

However, Tiptree took the lead on 12 minutes through Steve Wareham. Dereham keeper John West called as a long ball came over the Dereham defence but didn't get there before Dave MacKrory, whose shot rebounded back across goal. Wareham was fastest to the ball and slotted it home from 25 yards although it was not quite the clinical finish that everyone had seen at Sudbury two weeks ago.

Phil Battell nearly added a second on 20 minutes as he was inches away from making contact with a cross from Dave Barefield.

Despite this Dereham came more into the game as the half wore on although they had to wait until the 42nd minute before Olive Christie had their first real shot on goal.

Tiptree's second goal came on the hour mark after Battell had been fouled on the edge of the penalty area.

Steve Daly swung in the resultant free-kick and Andy Brady found himself with space to head downwards and past West. Steve Parnell came on later for Tiptree as they went looking for more goals and for the first league match in a while the Jam Makers looked to be coasting quite comfortably. Parnell himself, along with MacKrory, had further chances to add to the scoreline but in the end two goals was enough to lead Tiptree home for their first league win of the year.

Fakenham Town 0 Harwich & Parkeston 3

HARWICH & Parkeston midfield man Gareth Heath turned in a magnificent display to help earn his side a convincing 3-0 victory at Fakenham's Clipbush Park ground on a bright but blustery afternoon.

Heath managed to overcome the embarrassment of his late sending off during the mid-week 2-0 home defeat at the hands of championship-chasing Wroxham to score a goal in each half. He also hit the woodwork on two occasions as the Shrimpers turned on a display that belied their lowly league position.

A satisfying afternoon's work was capped by a goal from the influential and sometimes fiery Adrian Armstrong.

After the match Harwich manager Adrian Gray commented: "Despite the fact that Gareth stole the show this was a good all-round performance. I was impressed with our display. We controlled things from start to finish".

He went on: "This was just the tonic that we needed. There was some confidence-boosting individual performances out there and I would give special praise to Darryl Eagle, who had one of the best games I have ever seen him play."

Lowestoft Town 2 Felixstowe and Walton United 3

WHILE no doubt pleased with the result Felixstowe & Walton manager Paul Adams was left perplexed as he saw his side deservedly collect three points at the expense of third-placed Lowestoft with a performance that made a mockery of their lowly position.

While it may be too late to escape relegation with four games left and seven points adrift of Ipswich Wanderers on this showing they could still upset the form book.

Deasy returned to the starting line-up after missing two games through injury and produced the match-winning goal 12 minutes from the end. It was just reward for the Seasiders who had controlled the early play before finding themselves two goals down inside a minute only to hit back and level things before half-time.

Fuller blasted over inside the first minute from Knights' long throw and Deasy went close with a shot on the turn as Felixstowe & Walton pulled the Lowestoft defence apart in the opening 15 minutes.

Such was their dominance that it was 12 minutes before Charters actually touched the ball after Crowe had headed over.

As Lowestoft increased their share of possession it looked a familiar story with Charters producing an excellent save to turn away McGee's shot in the 21st minute before the Blues took a 36th-minute lead through McGee, who headed home at the far post after Charters looked to have been impeded. Within a minute McGee added a second, beating Charters to a loose ball as it ran across the box.

The expected collapse never materialised as a series of niggling fouls from the home side seemed to galvanise the visitors and it was from one of these that Nicky Barker struck a free-kick beyond Bligh from 25 yards. Two minutes later, on the stroke of half-time, Barker produced another top-quality strike from a 20-yard free-kick to beat Bligh low down at his near post.

Lowestoft had plenty of possession after the break and went close to restoring their advantage on four occasions with McGee being denied a hat-trick as his header hit the bar and Stokeld failing on three occasions to make the decisive break-through when well placed. But with Felixstowe & Walton showing a never-say-die attitude they gained their reward in the 78th minute when McCormack put Deasy clear on the right to produce an emphatic finish from 15 yards that gave Bligh no chance.

Despite being under siege in the remaining 12 minutes plus five extra added on by an over-fussy referee, the visitors never looked likely to give up the three points they had worked so hard to gain.

Stowmarket Town 5 Gorleston 1

STOWMARKET avenged their opening-day defeat at Gorleston with this emphatic victory at Greens Meadow on Saturday.

Stowmarket took 16 minutes before breaking the deadlock when home skipper Platt broke through the Gorleston offside trap and unselfishly squared to Yeomans who side-footed home from eight yards. Stowmarket remained in control for the majority of the half although home keeper Nunn had to be alert to push a shot from Turner around the post in the 25th minute.

Stowmarket got the second goal they deserved five minutes before the break when Aldis pushed the ball through the Gorleston defence and Jopling ended a nine-match barren run by scoring his side's second goal.

After the break Gorleston pulled one back on the hour when following a corner the ball broke to Lindsay who shot over Nunn and reduced the Norfolk side's arrears.

Stowmarket soon restored their two-goal lead however when just a minute later a Yeomans corner was forced home by Ratcliffe. Stowmarket then introduced substitutes Pannell and Whatling to good effect as they both got their names on the scoresheet before the end.

In the 71st minute a well-worked fourth goal for the home side saw Proctor release Barker and his pinpoint cross was headed into the net by Pannell.

Stowmarket completed the scoring with five minutes remaining when both substitutes combined with Whatling initially bringing the ball just inside his own half and passing to Pannell.

He took the ball towards goal and Whatling continued his run to take Pannell's pass and side-foot home Stowmarket's fifth.

The home side had played some of their best football of the season but sadly it was in front of another small crowd.

Great Yarmouth 1 Mildenhall Town 2

YARMOUTH took an early lead in this game – one they could have done with winning to guarantee their survival in the Premier Division.

A penalty was awarded for a foul on Stuart Hunt and Lee Humphreys converted.

That was all the scoring until half-time, but in the second half, Mildenhall came much more into the game.

Ogilvie was causing the home defence all sorts of problems and 1`3 minutes from time he shot home to bring the Suffolk side right back into the game.

In time added on Mildenhall found a winner. Neil Pope scored from two yards after the home failed to clear a left-wing cross.

Clacton v Swaffham, postponed

CLACTON'S game with Swaffham was postponed as mark of respect to Tom Marenghi, a Swaffham player, killed in a road accident last week.