Great Yarmouth and District Football Leaguewww.gydfl.comSECOND Division Albion (GY), in their first season in the GYDFL, tasted defeat for the first time in any competition when they narrowly lost to the Wiltshire Cup holders 3-2 despite taking the lead through Johnny Bowles.

Great Yarmouth and District Football League

www.gydfl.com

SECOND Division Albion (GY), in their first season in the GYDFL, tasted defeat for the first time in any competition when they narrowly lost to the Wiltshire Cup holders 3-2 despite taking the lead through Johnny Bowles.

Arches equalised through Scott Calver and took the lead early in the second half through Dean Harper before James Hogbin levelled with a quarter of an hour to go.

The holders secured their semi-final spot when Calver added his second to earn a tie with Catfield.

Five goals from Chad Pillar and two apiece from Adam Thompson and Adam Hodds eased Catfield past Gunton 9-1.

The second semi-final will be between Golfers Arms, who beat Caister A 5-2 thanks to a double double from substitutes Liam Bartley and Greg Ford with Chris King also on target, and the winners of the tie between Lacon Arms and South Yarmouth.

In the delayed second-round tie Lacons Arms just edged out Shrublands 3-2 thanks to goals from Martin McColgan, who scored twice, and Russell Platten to set-up the third-round tie with South Yarmouth on February 14.

A solitary goal from Mark Fincham was enough to secure three points for second division leaders MK United Reserves at Great Yarmouth United while second-placed Hemsby Reserves had a more comfortable win at Paperclip.

Hemsby never looked back after Steven George scored directly from a corner. Hemsby went 2-0 up through a headed goal by Terry McGough. Hemsby started the second half brightly and were awarded a penalty when Wayne Bensley was fouled. Cain Esherwood made it 3-0.

Hemsby continued to pass the ball around well and added a fourth through a strike by Paul Harvey which might have been a cross. Going into the final 10 minutes Paperclip pulled back a consolation goal, and Hemsby added a fifth through Terry McGough to make the final score 5-1.

Norfolk and Chance are up to fifth following a 3-1 win at Gorleston Wanderers. There was the same score at Martham A where South Yarmouth were the victors with a double from Darren Howe and one from Matty Wallis.

Great Yarmouth Peelers took the lead three minutes before the break with a Richard Temple wind-assisted curling shot into the top corner.

The second half saw Carpathians press forward for an equaliser and eventually score after 65 minutes when Leigh Grigg converted a screamer. Carpathians upped the tempo and began to look good value for a win. However, a tangle in the Carpathians penalty area, which could have gone either way, went in favour of Peelers and Temple scored from the resulting penalty with only five minutes left.

Carpathians still pressed forward and, with a change of luck at last, were awarded a penalty themselves with virtually the last kick of the match which Adrian Coote dispatched to leave honours even at 2-2.

Paul Payne

Wiltshire Cup, second round: Shrublands 2, Lacon Arms 3. Wiltshire Cup, third round: Arches 3, Albion (GY) 2; Caister A 2, Golfers FC 5; Gunton 1, Catfield 9.

Division Two: Carpathians 2, Great Yarmouth Peelers 2; Gorleston Wdrs 1, Norfolk and Chance 3; Great Yarmouth Utd 0, MK Utd Res 1; Martham A 1, South Yarmouth 3; Paperclip 1, Hemsby Res 5.

Fixtures

(All kick-offs 2pm)

Division One: Archers v MK Utd (Red, B Russell), Catfield v GY International (Beaco, T Webb); Golfers FC v Lacon Arms (Beaco, A Russell), Reedham v Caister A (Reedham, G Walker), Tramway v Gunton (Red, S Addy).

Division Two: Carpathians v Shrublands (Ormesby, D Tozer), Gorleston Wdrs v Martham A (Halvergate, A Clark), Hemsby Res v South Yarmouth (Hemsby, P Emblem), Norfolk and Chance v MK Utd Res (Beaco, I Gilfedder), Paperclip v Albion (GY) (Beaco, A Anguish), Prostar Windows v Great Yarmouth Peelers (Rec, M Hubbard).