Fakenham Town 0, Great Yarmouth Town 4THE Bloaters con-solidated their third position in Ridgeons Division One with this win against bottom side Fakenham.

Fakenham Town 0, Great Yarmouth Town 4

THE Bloaters con-solidated their third position in Ridgeons Division One with this win against bottom side Fakenham.

The luckless Ghosts, without a point so far this season, never had a chance once Stewart Roach headed Yarmouth into a sixth-minute lead.

Although they fought back stubbornly and had more of the play for a while, a second Yarmouth goal by Scott Woodcock, his third in consecutive games, just before the break took the wind out of their sails at a blustery Clipbush Park. Yarmouth then increased their goal difference after the break.

The side showed three changes from that which won at Thetford. Alan Darby who took a knock at Mundford Road was absent, while Martin Goulder and Fernando Vide found themselves on the bench, replaced respectively by Gareth Palmer and Roach, the latter back as captain.

And the master-blaster led the way once again, providing the goal which settled any nerves. Jo Bell sent over a glorious corner which Roach connected with perfectly to send the ball past ex-Bloater Sean Cooper in the home goal.

Roach then lifted over from 10 yards after a free-kick into the box, but the Bloaters did not have things easy as Fakenham refused to lie down. Jake Reed took a return pass from Roach but shot wide in a rare attack but the Ghosts fared no better despite more possession. Michael Hilton pulled off one good catch from a cross but was otherwise untroubled.

At 1-0, Yarmouth's position looked precarious but ex-Fakenham man Woodcock doubled the lead on 40 minutes, making sure with a second bite after Cooper had made a partial block, and from then on it was plain sailing.

Eight minutes after the break Yarmouth made it three when from a Reed pass on the front of the box Dominic Smith shot against a post and the ball ended up in the net. Yarmouth pushed on and Woodcock saw his shot on the turn blocked, and Ollie Savage, yet another ex-Ghost, then shot wide from all of 35 yards.

Hilton produced one save of note after an hour but back at the other end although he slipped over in the box Reed had time to get up and try again but put his effort wide.

Fernando Vide went on and added his skills to the attack but it was another substitute, Liam Bartley, who added the fourth goal on 68 minutes, sending in a cracking shot from the right-hand corner of the box that beat Cooper all ends up.

An 81st minute Yarmouth corner caused mayhem in the Fakenham defence but neither Bartley nor the advanced Craig Roberts could take advantage, the ball finally scraping past a post from Roberts' outstretched boot.

Reed had bad luck with a glancing header at the far post that just went the wrong side

of it.

Reed deserves a special mention as, after the first four games in which he scored four goals, the youngster has hit a bit of a bleak spell, no-one in the team is working harder though and his technical skills and support play are first class.

But he has determination and he knows his luck in front of goal will change again soon.

Yarmouth: M Hilton, B Junior, O Savage, C Roberts, G Palmer, J Bell (F Vide 60), S Woodcock, M Magee (M Goulder 67), S Roach (L Bartley 67), J Reed, D Smith. Unused sub: M Thompson. Att: 36.