Wroxham 1 Phoenix Sports 1 – Yachtsmen get stuck in home mud

Wroxham failed to take advantage of a good start as they were held to a pre-Christmas draw on a difficult Trafford Park pitch.

The surface resembled a beach in places, although that didn't prevent Michael Sommerfield putting the Yachtsmen ahead after just 13 minutes.

Winger Seamus Kelleher picked up the ball on the halfway line, weaved past a Phoenix defender on the left before seeing his cross deflected nicely for the unmarked Sommerfield to nod past keeper Steve Phillips from six yards.

It was no more than Wroxham deserved after a good start and it almost got better, but Sommerfield glanced an effort wide and Jamie Forshaw then saw his free-kick brilliantly pushed away by Phillips.

But the luck began to turn against Wroxham when, after just 24 minutes, Danny Beaumont felt a recurrence of an injury and had to be replaced by Jack Guyton on the right-hand side of midfield.

Then, just 10 minutes later, Phoenix Sports found themselves level, against the run of play, when Alistair Gordon curled a shot into the bottom corner past Elliot Pride.

Wroxham came close to restoring the lead on the stroke of half-time, when Forshaw's free-kick was almost turned past his own keeper by a defender. Nathan Stone and Guyton were both denied by the keeper, but the game became a scrappy affair as both teams struggled to pass the ball on the pitch – although Phoenix almost snatched the win when they hit the post.

Wroxham: Pride, Taylor, Foreman, Hinton, Howell, Halliday, Forshaw (Jarvis 78), Sommerfield, Stone, Beaumont (Guyton 24), Kelleher (Norman) 83. Subs not used: Ebbage, Sturman. Goal: Sommerfield 13.

Phoenix Sports: Phillips, Andrews, Mingle (Hamill 70), Bedford, Springett, Hill, Carnegie, Goodchild (Fakinos 86), Gordon, Stone, Mascoll (Orome 86). Subs not used: Whibley, Kemp. Goal: Gordon 31.