An early brace from Michael Brothers eased league leaders Needham Market to a comfortable win over Wroxham, writes Thomas Crabb.

The home side set out their stall early doors, Ollie Fenn having an effort blocked from distance from a first-minute corner. This shoot-on-sight tactic from Needham – aided by the strong wing behind them – was clear to see, and there was no stopping the next effort 60 seconds later. Brothers collected the ball on the edge of the area and swivelled on a sixpence before striking a superb left-footed effort that gave keeper Elliott Pride no chance.

The table-toppers were dominating the early salvos and repeated the dose on nine minutes with another well-taken goal. Sam Newsom burst down the right before producing a lovely pull back to find Brothers free from 15 yards, the striker letting the ball come across him before side-footing into the corner.

Kemel Izzet came within inches of making it 3-0, before Wroxham showed some sort of response on the half hour, Nathan Stone scuffing wide after a nice ball from Jamie Forshaw. Stone then struck straight at Shaun Phillips moments later, whilst Pride saved Luke Ingram's header superbly down the other end.

The Yachtsmen controlled the ball much better in the second half but failed to move through the gears, with Needham happy to soak up anything Wroxham offered. Pride had to be at full stretch to tip Coakley's 80th-minute free kick around the post before Matt Halliday and Andy Howell both saw efforts fly over in injury time as Wroxham fell to their second defeat in four games.

Elsewhere, Dereham's clash at Waltham Abbey was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Needham: Phillips, Brown, Coakley, Morphew, Fenn, Nunn, Ingram, Izzet, Newsom, Brothers, Westlake. Subs: Heath, Munson, Newman, Ward, Mills

Wroxham: Pride, Taylor, Rust (Attree 85'), Hinton (Harty 75'), Howell, Halliday, Forshaw (Imrie 75'), White, Stone, Finch, Gordon

Referee: Rick Bloy

Attendance: 209