Long Melford 0, Gt Yarmouth Tn 4Yarmouth strengthened their position at the top of Ridgeons Division One by winning at Long Melford while challengers FC Clacton and Saffron Walden could only draw with each other.

Long Melford 0, Gt Yarmouth Tn 4

Yarmouth strengthened their position at the top of Ridgeons Division One by winning at Long Melford while challengers FC Clacton and Saffron Walden could only draw with each other.

Without injured leading scorer Stewart Roach, Yarmouth showed they are not a one-man band with two goals in each half.

Jake Reed received a throw from Bernardo Junior and crossed for Gavin Norman to put away his third goal for the Bloaters after only 12 minutes, and Craig Roberts doubled the lead after 23 minutes, meeting a Scott Woodcock corner with a powerful header at the back post.

Soon after the interval, Long Melford had Ashley Skeggs sent off for foul language but the ten men fought all the harder and dominated for a time.

But Yarmouth withstood the storm and went further ahead on 68 minutes when substitute Vida Formoso got his head on an Adam Sewell long throw and directed the ball to the far post where it dropped under the bar and in, despite a defender's desperate attempt to clear.

Substitute Mark Thompson made it four with a tremendous shot across the 'keeper from Olly Savage's pass.

Yarmouth's next league game is a big test at Saffron Walden on Saturday but before that they have to face Wroxham at the Wellesley on Tuesday in the Norfolk Senior Cup (7.45).