IT is just as well that Great Yarmouth Town have started a run of four consecutive away matches following the borough council's ban on football on its pitches until some rain arrives.

IT is just as well that Great Yarmouth Town have started a run of four consecutive away matches following the borough council's ban on football on its pitches until some rain arrives.

The first match to fall victim of the ban was the Youth's game against Wroxham on Wednesday, with the Reserves first home fixture tomorrow following suit, writes Gerry Brown.

Three of the aways are cup ties: Tuesday's League Cup game at Thetford started the run with only tomorrow's visit to Fakenham Town (3pm) being a league fixture. This coming Tuesday the Bloaters return to Swaffham, scene of a Division One victory on September 19, for a Division One Knockout Cup tie (7.45pm), and next Saturday the Norfolk Senior Cup takes centre stage with a third round visit to Dersingham Rovers, a repeat of last year's tie at the same stage - a repeat of last year's 3-0 win would be nice too!

The Reserves get in on the cup act too. On October 17 they were due to be at home to Drayton in the Norfolk Junior Cup but as Yarmouth already had a Ridgeons League fixture (Long Melford) arranged on that date, the club has had to concede ground advantage as Ridgeons matches take precedence over the Junior Cup.

In the Chell Trophy, the Reserves have been drawn at home to Debenham LC Reserves on a date in November yet to be allocated.

The Yarmouth first team will be hoping to avoid another 'banana skin' fixture tomorrow, as Fakenham have lost all their games so far. But with Paul Tong's player availability problems at the moment, anything is possible.

In their last completed match (last Saturday's was abandoned after a serious player injury) the Ghosts lost 8-0 to FC Clacton.

Paul Tong said that Toby Gorbould has gone to Beccles Town. “We parted on good terms,” said the Yarmouth boss: “Toby has been a good servant to Yarmouth and we wish him well in his quest for first team football. He would be welcomed back any time he wants.”

Thetford Town 0, Great Yarmouth Town 1

Yarmouth's narrow League Cup win on Tuesday set up an intriguing home tie with Gorleston in the first round, probably on October 20. The only goal was scored on the half-hour by Scott Woodcock after Jake Reed cut the ball back to him.

As on Saturday, Yarmouth should have scored more. Such was Yarmouth's dominance that Thetford only won one corner and that not until five minutes from the end.

Captain on the night, goalkeeper Michael Hilton, had little bother from a weak Thetford attack. Manager Paul Tong had to do without five players so in came Martin Goulder from the reserves for his senior debut, while Jo Bell made his first senior start. Alan Darby was also back from the injured list but then had to go off with a knock in the second half.

Team: M Hilton, B Junior, O Savage, C Roberts, M Goulder, A Darby (M Thompson 78), F Vide (L Bartley 75), D Smith, J Reed, S Woodcock (S Roach 65), J Bell.