A battling performance ended with a harsh scoreline on Gorleston at the potential champions.

Stewart Larter made three changes from the midweek win over Walsham. Isaac Burrage and Ismael Fatadjo were in Stoke winning the County FA Cup for Norfolk and Joel Watts was also missing.

Kyle Ingram, Nathan Russell and David Shade returned.

Coggeshall began strongly and Nnamdi Nwachuku had the first shot after five minutes which was straight at Scott Foreman.

It was somewhat against the run of play when Gorleston took the lead in the 18th minute. A bit of a mix-up saw the ball run through to Sean Perfect who raced into the box to slot past the keeper.

The goal seemed to knock Coggeshall out of their stride. Jack Garrod hit a 25 yard free-kick which curled wide and then Garrod picked up an unfortunate yellow card which would come back to haunt the Greens.

In first half stoppage time Gorleston could have extended their lead when Ross Gilfedder got in behind the defence but his effort failed to trouble thee keeper.

The game turned in a four minute spell around the hour mark.

A harsh free-kick was awarded against Gorleston to the left of midfield for a handball and Coggeshall slid the ball down the wing to the left of the wall where substitute Josce Syrett had run into the space and he slotted home the equaliser.

Four minutes later a Coggeshall corner was only half cleared. The ball fell to Nwachuku on the edge of the box who hit a great shot into the net, giving Foreman no chance.

The hosts saw Jack Hayes head narrowly wide and then Aaron Cosgrave force Foreman into a fine save. The Greens were still creating chances but their hopes of getting anything from the game suffered a huge blow in the 76th minute when Garrod received a second yellow for a foul.

With six minutes left Coggeshall’s Tom Monk ran through on goal. Foreman saved his first effort but Monk was able to tap home the loose ball.

The scoreline was given a harsh gloss two minutes into injury-time when Monk latched on to a long ball and finished well.

Gorleston: Foreman, Lambert, Ingram, Goreham (Middleton 80), Shade, Taylor, Garrod, Hannant (McKay 66), Gilfedder, Russell, Perfect.