Diss beat Downham Town 4-1 at Brewers Green Lane in a Ridgeons League Division One match last Saturday to make it four unbeaten league matches with the last two won.

DEACON DOUBLE DOWNS TOWN

Diss beat Downham Town 4-1 at Brewers Green Lane in a Ridgeons League Division One match last Saturday to make it four unbeaten league matches with the last two won.

Diss had failed to win any of their previous seven competitive home matches, the last win being against Ely on March 1, and their supporters must have feared the worst when Downham went ahead in the fifth minute.

Matt Chapman shot in from eight yards out to a Sam Garner centre.

Brendan Foley equalised at a 30th minute corner.

Andy Moody was pushed to the floor for a penalty five minutes before half-time and Adie Hayes scored from the penalty kick.

Ben Deacon scored two goals late in the game.

He said: “I was put clear for the two best chances that I have had all season”

in describing the passes from Danny Partridge. In the 75th minute Deacon ran on to a pass and shot in from 20 yards and two minutes later

Danny McKail won the ball and released Partridge to run down the right and cross for Deacon to shoot in.

Diss thank good friends Carol and Ken of Coleman's Removal and Storage of Diss for sponsorship of the match.

Ken selected Hayes as man of the match.

Diss do not have a fixture next Saturday as intended opponents Cornard United have a FA Cup tie. The match is now scheduled for Brewers Green Lane on Saturday, March 14.

Diss Reserves were beaten 2-1 away at Lowestoft Reserves in the Ridgeons League North last Saturday.

Both teams had a good mix of youth and more experienced players. Ian Edwards had an excellent match in the Diss goal but was beaten by a 42nd minute Daniel Mitchell shot from 12 yards and a 54th minute 10 yard shot after a free-kick was headed on to Scott Martin.

Diss pulled a goal back nine minutes from time when 16-year-old Jake McDowell played a long ball out of defence and Karl Ansley hit a first time shot from the right hand corner of the penalty area into the far corner of the net.

Diss Reserves will be away at Brantham Athletic Reserves next Saturday (kick off 3pm) in The Chell Trophy first round first leg.

Diss U18s were beaten 4-2 at home by Ipswich Wanderers U18s in the opening league match of the Ridgeons Youth League Central Division season.

Daniel Cook's 25 yard shot put Wanderers into an eighth minute lead. Jack Pitcher shot in from close range to double the lead in the 24th minute.

Five minutes later Jon Abbott played the ball through for Terry Minshull to beat the offside trap and move away from the defence before shooting in from 15 yards out.

Pitcher made it 3-1 with a well struck shot in first half added time.

Tom Allen pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute after cutting in from the left and shooting in. Diss had a good spell of pressure but their hopes of a point were ended in the 81st minute when the impressive Tom Padmore hit an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out to make it 4-2.

Diss U18s will be at home to Stowmarket Town U18s on Thursday (kick off 7.45pm) in the FA Youth Cup sponsored by E.On preliminary round.

Diss U9s lost a pre-season match at Debenham 8-2 (a goal from Kyle Hanusink and an og) last Sunday. Their first two league games are away at Rocklands this Sunday (kick off 10.30am) and at home (Palgrave Community Centre) against Dereham Magpies next Sunday.

The next Diss Town FC prize bingo will be on Monday, September 15 (doors open at 7.15 for eyes down at 8pm) and the next Barry H evening is Saturday, September 13 (from 8pm with hot food available for purchase). Entry is free to club members with a charge of £2 levied to all others.

t TWO TOP GAMES, BUT TWO DIFFERENT RESULTS FOR BATTLING BLOATERS IN THE FA CUP

Two terrific games in the FA Cup this past week resulted in Wroxham going through to meet Grantham in the 1st qualifying round.

The Bloaters, after a wobbly start on Saturday, came good and deservedly drew the first encounter at the Wellesley.

The mighty Yachtsmen took a 2-0 lead after only 22 minutes and who would have given Yarmouth a chance after that?

But the boys are well-fired up by Messrs Tong and Cruickshank and came back with a two-in-two-minutes burst before the break. Stewart Roach scored a goal “as good as you are likely to see at the Wellesley this season” according to Tong, and Adey Ager weighed in with his second of the season, his first also coming in the previous FA Cup game at Hadleigh.

A hot afternoon saw the pace drop a bit in the second half but there was still plenty of excitement for both sets of fans in the 190 crowd.

Tong perhaps excused his players their earlier lapses when he said they were trying out a different system for this game and that the team took some time to get used to it.

“But they have such character,” he went on, “and a lot of teams would have folded but these lads don't know when they are beaten.”

The result meant Yarmouth's undefeated run stretched to five games, but this was rudely halted in Tuesday's replay with Wroxham winning 3-0.

The first half saw Yarmouth give a good account of themselves. Wroxham could count themselves lucky to be 2-0 ahead at the break: the Bloaters, with young Jake Reed replacing the now-departed Nick Crawley, created several close chances, Reed even getting the ball in the net after a Thornton slip but an offside decision negated that one.

The second half saw the Yachtsmen take control after a third goal almost from the kick-off. Andy Key unlocked his former club's defence repeatedly and the Bloaters rarely threatened.

Tong and Cruickshank, although acknowledging mistakes were made, were quick to praise the players for their efforts over the two games.

“The players were totally gutted after the Tuesday game,” said Cruickshank.

“They know they could have done better but good teams impose their games onto you.

“Jake Reed did well and is certainly one for the future but Adam Sewell was our man of the match for Yarmouth.”

t FAKENHAM PAY PENALTY AFTER TWO DECISIONS

The Fakenham Town faithful were left with an “if only” feeling by last weekend's FA Cup home 4-0 defeat by Boston Town.

If only a penalty had been given for a double-handed touch by a Boston defender on Julian Delicata's third-minute shot. If only Liam Campbell had not been adjudged to have combined a push with his powerful header which seemed to have made it 1-1 in the 14th minute.

“They were two crucial decisions, they were the sort that change games,” said joint manager Stuart Woodhouse. He accepted the penalty, had it been given, might not have been converted. “But at 1-0 down it would have been a different kettle of fish for Boston.”

He did not think that, for their higher status in the football pyramid, they were particularly good in defence.

The Ghosts fell behind after 10 minutes. Paul Goodhand was allowed far too much time on the edge of the box to set up Mark Foster for a simple goal.

A 28th-minute Boston corner led to their second goal, Miles Mason firing home on the turn from 12 yards, again with suspiciously too much space.

At the other end Ben Darby broke through the Boston defence but slid his shot wide in the 40th minute when a goal might have changed the course of the tie.

Second half Fakenham keeper Daniel Stockdale made a fine low save before the Ghosts had two edge-of-area free-kicks.

The first was hit into the wall, the follow-up shot going wide, and the second was hit tamely at the keeper.

Fakenham failed to cope with a 73rd minute corner, the ball falling kindly for Mason to crack home Boston's third.

Two minutes later a Boston shot came back off the bar and Lazlo Lomas followed up with the visitors' fourth.

Woodhouse felt everyone put in a lot of effort the previous Tuesday in the 1-1 home draw with March and on Saturday.

“Everyone gave their all on a hot day, and it's always more difficult chasing a game on a hot day,” Woodhouse added.

He felt Kevin Whittred had an outstanding game for the Ghosts on Saturday, and said generally the squad were not too disheartened.

“The supporters are seeing lads who live in the town playing for Fakenham. That is what we (Woodhouse and Mark King) were asked to do, and that is what we are giving them,” Woodhouse said.

The cup tie was sponsored by Indespension.

Fakenham: Stockdale, Whittred, Woodhouse, Tagg, Haynes, Bamford, Cole, Betts, Darby, Delicata, Campbell. Subs used: Hooks, Critten; not used: Fenwick, King, Goff.

200 Club August winners: £100 G Chadwick, £60 D Utting, £40 M Alexander, £25 C Esposito, £25 Mrs T Woodhouse.

Before today's FA Vase trip to Debenham LC, the only first teamer not fit was striker Karl Pask, who needs time to recover from a hernia operation.

t BRYANT GOAL NOT ENOUGH FOR THETFORD

Thetford first team have had an up-and-down start to the new season and suffered defeat for only the second time against unbeaten league leaders Newmarket Town, by three goals to one.

Thetford shocked their opponents by taking the lead after only five minutes through Sam Bryant.

Luke Wheeler, 16 made his debut in goal and performed really well, coming out on two occasions to pluck crosses off the heads of experienced Newmarket centre-halves Colin Vowden and Andy Eadey.

In fact, Thetford were matching their experienced opponents and should have equalised just before half-time when ex-Thetford keeper Lee Hulyer kicked the ball out to Kwame Jones who scuffed wide.

Newmarket scored a third at the start of the second half, and when Greg Devlin was sent off for dissent Town had an uphill task.

Despite this with only 10 men for much of the second half Thetford kept their opponents at bay and still created two good chances through Sam Bryant and Bruno Silva Eavres.

Money believes the side is still short of three quality players and will be looking to increase his squad over the next couple of weeks with some seven-day approaches already being made.

Exciting young keeper Ross Bilham, 18, has

re-joined the club after doing exceptionally well in pre-season and will hopefully be playing Saturday.

t Lee Devlin has been awarded Player of the Month for August and has really impressed with every game so far this season, always attends training and with no bookings to date Lee thoroughly deserves his award of an Wembley ticket for an upcoming England game.

This is courtesy of sponsor Adie Lee of flooringsupplies.co.uk

Thetford have three strong squads under good management and the training attendance is still exceptional with only two players from the first and reserves squads missing training on Thursday.

Thetford still need every player in the club sponsored by the sum of £50 for this - any would-be sponsor gets his name and phone number in the programme and a link on the website, which had over 2500 hits last week.

The club have been approached by two more sponsors who would like to come on board as Thetford goes from strength to strength.

t GREENS CAN ONLY DRAW

Gorleston completed a league double over Godmanchester last season but although they had the better of the play on Saturday at Emerald Park the Greens had to be content with a share of the spoils this time in a 1-1 draw.

The visitors are definitely an improved side from last season and currently hold a position near the top of Ridgeons Division One.

Gorleston had Pete Lambert and Adam Thurtle returning. Last season these two were voted supporters' player of the year and runner-up respectively. Lambert was selected in an attacking midfield role while Thurtle was on the bench.

Gorleston started very well and Chad Pillar came close when he sent a header against the bar with the keeper Ally McNally beaten.

Gorleston received an early setback when right-back Kyle Howell had to be substituted as a result of an ankle injury. Paul Todd came on in his place.

Gorleston were putting some fine attacking moves together and had the better of the play but were caught out when Godmanchester broke quickly from midfield and switched the ball to striker Paul Batts on the right.

He cut inside and unleashed a shot into the top of the net to give the visitors the lead.

Gorleston responded well and a good move saw Nathan Thompson break into the area, only for his fiercely struck drive to clear the bar.

Their efforts were rewarded just before the interval when Steve Taylor orchestrated a move down the left which saw Regan Harman cut inside and beat McNally with a low drive inside the far post. A coolly-taken goal.

The second half was very entertaining with both sides putting in plenty of effort, and although Gorlestoncreated the better chances there were no further goals.

Leon Harewood, who recently joined Gorleston from Kirkley, had an excellent match in defence and he looks to be another fine acquisition.

Gorleston went close when a sweeping ball across from the left was headed by Nathan Thompson into the side netting.

The last chances of the match saw Ricci Butler's free-kick parried by the keeper and Chad Pillar's skimming the bar.

It was disappointing for Gorleston not to have won, but the team are playing attractive football and the chances are being made.

They also have a good squad to pick from.