Late penalty woe for Diss Town
Diss Town's struggles in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Premier Division continued at the weekend with a 1-0 home defeat to Woodbridge Town.
It was Diss' fifth successive league defeat, although a much improved performance. In fact, they played the last half hour with 10 players and it seemed the Tangerines would hold on for a point – but a late penalty dashed those hopes.
Diss had the better of things for the majority, but when Ben Soanes was dismissed for a second booking just after the hour, the dynamic changed.
The final 10 minutes were played in a thunderstorm and the game was seemingly drifting towards a goalless draw – only for Aaron Churchyard to be brought down two minutes from time by Dan Hitching. Mark Roper sent the penalty low to the left of goalkeeper Matty Webster to earn all three points for the visitors.
Tom Cusack's 43rd minute opener was not quite enough for Thetford, who saw hosts FC Clacton earn a 1-1 draw in the second half. Mildenhall's trip to CRC lasted only 37 minutes as the goalless game was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch.
Swaffham's promising start to Division One continued with an excellent 5-0 win at Stowmarket.
The Pedlars made it three victories in a row after out-playing their hosts at Greens Meadow although it took 22 minutes for the visitors to break the deadlock as Rory Harper played through to slot the ball home.
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Further chances came and went, but it took until the 52nd minute for another goal to come. Joe Jackson beat his defender to lay off to Harper for his second.
Two minutes later Jackson got his reward, Will O'Brien playing him through before Jackson struck past the keeper into the bottom corner.
Number four came on the hour, Mickey Thompson picking out Jackson from a free-kick for a clinical turn to thrash home.
And on 72 minutes Jackson completed the rout, O'Brien again feeding him to claim his hat-trick.
Fakenham lost for the second time in their opening four matches as unbeaten Saffron Walden Town left Clipbush Park with a 3-1 victory.