High-flying Dereham maintained their 100pc record in East Women's League Division 1N with a comfortable 5-0 win at Ipswich & East Suffolk Ladies.The home side were buoyant after their win over form side Norwich the week before, but they were knocked out of their stride by an early goal from Dereham's Evie Van Poortvliet.

High-flying Dereham maintained their 100pc record in Division 1N with a comfortable 5-0 win at Ipswich & East Suffolk Ladies.

The home side were buoyant after their win over form side Norwich the week before, but they were knocked out of their stride by an early goal from Dereham's Evie Van Poortvliet.

The visitors, who went into the match averaging four goals per game and who had not conceded in their previous five matches, doubled their lead through Holly Allen.

They could even afford to spurn several chances, with a succession of short corner strikes going narrowly off target.

Eve Settle also went close when she dived at a Van Poortvliet cross, only to see the ball go wide. But the opportunities continued to come and Dereham were four up at half-time thanks to further goals from Hannah Palmer and Van Poortvliet.

When Sam Skelton made it five early in the second half, double figures looked a possibility, but a combination of near misses and Dereham taking their foot off the pedal meant there was no further scoring.

Ipswich did force two short corners late on, but these were dealt with comfortably and Dereham remain 10 points clear at the top.

After this Saturday's league game against Norwich Union, Dereham turn their attention to the EHA Trophy on Sunday, when they travel to Buckingham.