Planters fight back to win

Hadleigh United 1, Norwich United 4

Four second-half goals gave the Planters all three points and a convincing victory after they had trailed at the break despite enjoying the majority of possession before the interval.

Paul Atkins equalised eight minutes after the break, Ricci Butler fired the Planters ahead with two goals in less than five minutes and Lee Hunter added a fourth to complete the turnaround.

There were two changes from the side that lost at Dereham in midweek with Ricci Butler and Darren Coe replacing Jordan Blyth and Jamie Wilson who both dropped to the bench.

The Planters were soon on the front foot and from a left-wing corner Butler and Coe both saw shots blocked before Hadleigh scrambled the ball clear.

Jake McCabe did well to rob a Hadleigh player and release Butler who fed Claydon for the striker to see his shot deflected wide by goalkeeper Ben St Ledger.

It was virtually one-way traffic with Hadleigh rarely able to get out their half and chances coming thick and fast at the other end, Butler heading a Ben Furlong cross straight at St Ledger and Hunter having his shot blocked by full-back Kris Rose.

Butler came closest to opening the scoring in the 26th minute, his first time shot from Claydon's lay-off being tipped over by St Ledger. From the resultant corner Coe's header hit the bar, but the referee had already blown for an infringement.

Butler was denied again two minutes later this time St Ledger holding onto his shot from the edge of the area at the second attempt. Butler then released Claydon who shot past the keeper only for Rose to clear off the line.

A terrific cross-field ball from Justin Fox released Hunter down the right and his lob beat St Ledger only for Mark Roper to clear for Hadleigh.

Totally against the run of play it was Hadleigh who took the lead in the 37th minute with a quick break Robert Bethell passing forward to Ronaldo Wright his hit a lovely shot across Nower and inside the far post to give the hosts an undeserved lead at the break.

The Planters started the second half determined to get back into the game and they didn't have to wait long. Eight minutes after the break a lovely pass from Fox put Atkins behind the defence with a clear run on goal, he took the ball into the area and coolly netted past St Ledger to square matters.

McCabe had to tackle well to deny Bethell but it was the Planters who were in the ascendancy and Atkins and Hunter both went close before Butler put the Planters into the lead in the 67th minute.

Cutting in from the right he jinked past a defender before curling a lovely shot around St Ledger and into the far top corner.

Four minutes later and the Planters made it 3-1, Claydon shot was pushed away by St Ledger but straight to Butler who made no mistake, heading back past the stranded keeper.

In the 77th minute the Planters made sure of the points with a fourth goal, Claydon closed down St Ledger as he attempted to clear wide on the right wing well outside his box, he decided to pass inside but hit it to hard for his colleague and Hunter made good ground to side-foot home from the edge of the area.

Substitute Michael Tacon with one of his first touches set up Furlong whose shot forced St Ledger to concede a corner.

Hadleigh did threaten late on and Nower was forced into a good save tipping over Ben Garnham's deflected shot and in injury time Liam Jennings shot was deflected for a corner, but by this time Hadleigh were well beaten by a Planters side who had well and truly put Tuesday night's disappointment behind them.

Hadleigh United: St Ledger, Sadler (Jennings 58), Rose, Cowan, Roper, Leys, Bethell, Garnham, Wright, Payne (Cowan 80), Harewood (Licence 67). Unused sub: Woods.

Norwich United: Nower, McCabe, Furlong, Coe, D Tacon, Shipley, Hunter, Fox, Claydon (M Tacon 83), Butler, Atkins. Unused subs: Blyth, J Wilson.

Referee: T Moffat. Assistants: J Downs and C Sumner.

Attendance: 134.