GORLESTON came into Monday's game looking to gain revenge for their Boxing Day defeat at the Wellesley but were up against it from the third minute, writes David Hardy.

GORLESTON came into Monday's game looking to gain revenge for their Boxing Day defeat at the Wellesley but were up against it from the third minute, writes David Hardy.

Craig Roberts went down with a big yell following a challenge by Chris Sandford in the second minute. Sandford picked up a yellow card. Scott Woodcock whipped the free-kick onto the head of Stewart Roach, who guided the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

The game saw some crunching, but fair, challenges as you would expect as the Greens gained the ascendancy.

Steve Taylor and Sandford had long-range efforts but neither troubled goalkeeper Michael Hilton.

After 28 minutes Gorleston were denied the chance of an equaliser when former Green Olly Savage appeared to stick out an arm to divert the ball out of play. The referee ignored the penalty appeals and decided to give a goal kick. He booked Gary Williams for kicking the ball towards the corner flag for the corner Gorleston expected.

A Williams free-kick was nodded down by a defender with his goalkeeper behind him, Taylor pounced to shoot goalwards but Hilton got back to scramble the ball away.

On the stroke of half-time Yarmouth almost produced a carbon copy of their goal when Woodcock crossed from the right, but this time Roach's header flew wide.

The Bloaters began the second half on top. Woodcock curled a free-kick wide four minutes in then, eight minutes later his cross from the left just evaded the far post. Gorleston just had a couple of poorly-executed free-kicks to show for their efforts.

An equaliser almost arrived after 70 minutes with Peter Lambert and Liam Bartley linking up to create a shooting chance for Lambert. His first effort was blocked, but he laid the rebound back to Sandford whose shot beat the keeper but found Savage on the line to clear.

Two minutes later Bartley was almost through but Hilton came out to deny him and then he saved from another Bartley effort as Gorleston applied the pressure.

With 13 minutes left Bartley appeared to be shoved to the ground just inside the box, but again the referee waved away penalty appeals.

Two minutes later there was a blatant handball by a Yarmouth defender in the penalty area. The referee put his whistle to his mouth, looked at his linesman, and then played on, to the fury of the Gorleston players and supporters.

Lambert had another effort blocked and then Gavin Norman blazed over at the other end when through on Elliot Pride.

Jake Reed came on for Yarmouth, picked up a booking for kicking the ball away and then went unpunished for a high tackle on Kyle Howell which left Howell unable to walk off the field at the final whistle.

Gorleston could not break down the meanest defence in the division but their job was made even more difficult by the refusal of what Gorleston felt were three blatant penalties, Bloaters manager Paul Tong even admitting afterwards that his side were fortunate to take the points.

Team: Elliot Pride. Kyle Howell, Ryan Bloomfield (Jamie Stokeld 56), Aaron Huggins-Bowers, Adam Thurtle, Eddie Thompson, Chris Sandford, Liam Bartley, Peter Lambert, Steve Taylor, Gary Williams (Mitch Forbes 80).