Dereham conceded four goals for the second week running as they slumped to defeat against play-off chasing Bowers & Pitsea.

The Magpies fell behind to a soft goal in the fifth minute as Fahad Nyanja lobbed the ball into the visitors' box from the right towards striker Lewis Manor who easily out jumped keeper Josh Glover to head home.

Dereham fell further behind in the 22nd minute to a controversial goal. Lewis Manor looked yards offside when he received keeper Rhys Madden's clearance and turned deep inside the visitors' box to square for David Knight to net with an easy tap in.

Dereham nearly reduced the deficit when Danny Beaumont played a superb long ball to Rhys Logan on the right; the wide man progressed before crossing to Joe Gatting who was denied by keeper Madden's excellent close range stop in the 33rd minute.

Towards the end of the half Ryan Crisp found Logan with a pinpoint cross field ball and his diagonal drive flashed inches past the far post.

At the start of the second period a deep free kick from Beaumont had home keeper Madden struggling to concede a corner. Beaumont then put Logan in on the right but the Dereham man's low drive flew past the far post.

Bower's Manor then picked up another long ball into Dereham 18-yard box and passed to Bradley Warner who turned his man and slotted home to increase the home side's lead with 60 minutes gone.

Dereham boss Matt Henman made a double substitution to change things but the final ball continued to let his side down.

However, they came agonisingly close to scoring twice within a matter of seconds. Defender Oliver Humphrey's free kick beat Keeper Madden and cannoned back off the post to Gatting, who hit a fierce 20 yard drive that rattled the cross bar.

As the Magpies pressed again Beaumont headed Will Sainsbury-Logan's centre wide of the target.

The home side put the result beyond doubt in the 84th minute when skipper Martyn Stokes headed home Aaron Russell's free kick.

Bowers & Pitsea: Madden, Clark, Cross, Stokes, Wilson, Sartain, Manor, Leahy, Knight (Coley 60), B Warner (Russel 72), Nyanja. Subs: Johnson, Salmon, Adams.

Dereham: Glover, Black (Sainsbury-Logan 65), O Humphrey, R Linford (Murphy 82), Morphew, Frary, Logan, Smith, Gatting, Beaumont, Crisp (Bitsindou 65).

Referee: Mr A Gray

Attendance: 96