Godmanchester Rovers 0, Great Yarmouth Town 2The Bloaters completed a 100 per cent winning Easter weekend - the first for many years - with victory from their longest trip on Monday.

Godmanchester Rovers 0, Great Yarmouth Town 2

The Bloaters completed a 100 per cent winning Easter weekend - the first for many years - with victory from their longest trip on Monday.

But after taking a two-goal lead in the first half they had to survive a lengthy examination of their defensive qualities. And they passed with flying colours.

An injury to Stewart Roach on Saturday meant he was only fit for the bench. His replacement at Downham, David Lawrence, took a knock at Godmanchester after only 18 minutes and himself had to be substituted.

But just as Lawrence scored after coming off the bench on Saturday, so did his replacement Liam Bartley

after a great pass from Gareth Palmer on 28 minutes.

Palmer had given Yarmouth a 13th- minute lead, picking up the rebound after a Jake Reed shot was partially saved by home keeper Tim Trebes.

Michael Hilton had two good saves to make to keep a first-half clean sheet.

Reed was increasingly a lone figure up front, especially when both Scott Woodcock and Mark Thompson were taken off, but he got the ball in the back of the Godmanchester net in the closing stages when Yarmouth at last broke out of the stranglehold - but the referee had already blown for an offside.

Bloaters: Michael Hilton, Adam Sewell, Ollie Savage, Gareth Palmer, Adey Ager (c), Alan Darby, Scott Woodcock (Chris Squire 77), Bobby Hill, David Lawrence (Liam Bartley 18), Jake Reed, Mark Thompson (Johnny Watt 58). Unused Subs: Joe Bryanton, Stewart Roach.

Downham Town 0, Great Yarmouth Town 5

Yarmouth began their Easter double with this thumping win against the team that inflicted a first home league defeat of the season back in December.

The Bloaters set the Memorial Field alight with a scintillating first-half performance from which the hosts never recovered. Yarmouth scored in two bursts in each half and knocked the stuffing out of Downham.

Despite losing Roach early on, his replacement Lawrence was only on the field for five minutes before he sent a great through ball to Jake Reed,

who side-stepped a defender before sending a well-placed shot past home keeper Max Snell.

That was after 27 minutes, and the lead was extended two minutes later when Reed notched his second.

Gareth Palmer delivered another pass through the middle that beat the offside trap and although Snell got a touch on Reed's first shot he could do nothing about the follow-up.

In another four minutes it was 3-0 when Mark Thompson slammed home the loose ball after Snell had only parried a Lawrence shot after Reed had turned his marker in the penalty area.

Attack-minded Yarmouth piled forward and Downham had no reply. Two goals in a minute midway through the second half was icing on the cake.

Substitute Joe Bryanton, who had only been on the field a minute, took advantage of 74th-minute confusion in the home ranks as attackers outnumbered defenders to score his first senior goal for the club.

Seconds later Lawrence scored the spectacular goal of the game with a 25-yard shot from way out right.

Hilton's in the dying minutes brought off a flying save at the expense of a corner from which he acrobatically pushed over the bar a second effort.

Captain Adrian Ager headed off the line as the following corner came in.

Reed was twice denied a hat-trick by smart work from Snell.

Bloaters: Michael Hilton, Johnathan Watt, Adam Sewell, Toby Gorbould, Adey Ager (c), Alan Darby, Scott Woodcock, Gareth Palmer (Chris Squire 66), Stewart Roach (David Lawrence 22), Jake Reed, Mark Thompson (Joe Bryanton 73).

The Mercury-sponsored U18s need just three points from their remaining three league games to take the Eastern Division title.

Last night (Thursday) they were due at Wroxham seeking a place in the semi-finals of the League Cup, and next Thursday go to Harford Tornadoes (Plantation Park, 7.45) for their next league fixture.

Joint manager Mark Scales said this week: “The important thing at this stage of the season...is to score the early goal and relax.

“Being unbeaten is fantastic but you have the situation where teams want to be the first to beat you and it makes all the games that little bit harder.”

The Reserves end with a game away to Wortwell tomorrow (ko 2.30).

They have had an ultimately disappointing season after being amongst the leaders of Division Two until recent weeks.