Butler key man for Acle

Brandon Town 2, Acle United 4

Acle battered the now bottom Brandon side to another Anglian Combination Premier Division defeat.

The visitors should have been over the hill and gone before they had taken the lead.

A good ball was threaded through the static home defenders for Ricci Butler to fasten onto and leave two defenders in his wake before going round the keeper and slotting into the empty net.

Acle had been unfortunate with the final ball evading the outstretched foot or head on four occasions when it seemed easier to score than miss.

The second period saw Acle with the strong wind at their backs intent on heaping more misery on their hosts. With nine second-half minutes on the clock the ball found its way to Luke Goreham some 30 yards from goal and he unleashed a venomous drive that hardly left the surface before nestling in the net with Barlow completely beaten.

Ricci Butler again mesmerised the home defenders as they rained in tackles. He beat three men on his way into the penalty area before chipping the stranded keeper with a delicately-executed lob.

Sloppy defending saw the hosts pull a goal back late in the game before Nathan Thompson lobbed the keeper, who had a torrid afternoon, not knowing where the next attack was coming from.

Sheppard scored a consolation second for the hosts but the game was over as a contest after 30 minutes when Acle had registered their first goal and realised that Brandon could do nothing to stop the rampant Butler.

This week, Sheringham in the Mummery Cup, ko 2pm.