Gorleston suffered a 3-1 home defeat after two mistakes helped lowly Long Melford complete a league double over the Greens on Saturday.

Gorleston's Angus Mackie was suspended and Jake Jessup was unavailable.

Christy Finch returned from suspension and reserve team keeper Travis Canham stepped up to make his first team debut.

The first effort on target from Gorleston came a minute before the break from Robbie Sweeney's 20 yard free kick.

Contesting a corner decision meant Connor Deeks was sent to the sin bin to end the half and Gorleston consequently had to play the opening of the second half with only ten men.

It was in that period when Long Melford took the lead.

Five minutes into the second half, a long clearance from the Melford keeper saw last man, Mitch McKay, take a poor touch. Hassan Ally pounced and ran through on goal slotting the ball past Canham into the net.

The lead lasted two minutes. This time a Gorleston ball forward saw a Melford defender head the ball back towards his keeper, but the goalie wasn't there as he had raced from his box to clear.

The ball fell into the path of Finch who finished from wide with his usual accuracy in off the far post.

Five minutes later Melford were back in front.

A free kick to the back of the box was headed back into the middle where Ben Judge swivelled and struck the ball wide of Canham into the goal.

Melford's keeper made his only real save of the game in the 71st minute.

He pushed a low cross from Joel Watts out into the middle of the box where it found Kyle Ingram.

The skipper hit the ball low and hard but the keeper had got up quickly and reacted to turn the ball wide.

All hopes of salvaging a point were extinguished in the third minute of stoppage time.

Gorleston were in possession at the back but Connor Deeks took a heavy touch on the ball which allowed Josh Norris to pounce.

He squared to Griffiths who finished well to seal the win.

On Saturday Gorleston travel to thirteenth placed Hadleigh Utd, kick off 3.

Then, on Tuesday night, at Emerald Park, comes the much anticipated clash between Gorleston and Wroxham.