KEITH PEEL Joint manager Paddy Murphy has spoken of his bitter disappointment after Blofield United spurned a golden opportunity to retain the Lovewell Blake Anglian Football Combination Premier Division championship.

KEITH PEEL

Joint manager Paddy Murphy has spoken of his bitter disappointment after Blofield United spurned a golden opportunity to retain the Lovewell Blake Anglian Football Combination Premier Division championship. With three fixtures left, the Beavers had a six-point lead over Cromer Town, who had only one game in hand and a 13-goal inferior difference. Then, though, Blofield were surprisingly beaten by Sprowston Athletic and held to a draw by North Walsham in successive home matches.

Cromer took advantage and, as well as winning the Sterry Cup by two points, finished with a one-goal superior difference.

Blofield completed their campaign with an impressive 5-2 win at Brandon, and Murphy said: “We played superbly. If we had played half as well, even a quarter as well in our previous two matches, this game wouldn't have mattered.

“Some of our home performances against so-called lesser teams have left a lot to be desired.

“The players let themselves and the club down badly, especially in their last two home games.

“We dropped home points to St Andrews, Watton, Sprowston and North Walsham, but in the away games we scored six, four, six and five goals against them.

“I don't want to sound like a bad loser, but we really gifted the title to Cromer.

“That said, if we couldn't win it, I don't mind Cromer winning it, because we always get on well with them.

“So good luck to them, but we'll want the title back next season.”

Cromer captain Stuart Nee said: “I couldn't believe it when Blofield slipped up. We thought that we were out of it, but we kept going, put the hard work in and reaped the reward in the end.

“I'm 31 now and it's the best season of my career, especially as we did the double by also winning the Senior KO Cup. We've got a good bunch of lads who all gel together and I just hope we stick together next season and go on and do the double again.”

Ben Thompson, who scored two and made two of Cromer's goals in their decisive 4-2 final fixture defeat of Sprowston Athletic, said: “It has been a fantastic season for the club and I'm proud to have been a part of it.”

The talented striker previously played for Wroxham and seems certain to be a target of Ridgeons League clubs for next season, but he said: “I'm at university at the moment and my first priority is to get a job and build a career.

“I'll just savour the success with Cromer for a while and think about my football future in a few weeks' time.”