Gorleston 2 Wroxham 3

GORLESTON will kick themselves for not gaining at least a point from a game that took a cruel twist in injury time.

Four changes saw Steve Taylor return from injury, replacing the unavailable Jamie Godbold, Tom Daniels and Andy Howell were preferred to Kyle Howell and Aaron Huggins-Bowers. Mitch Forbes started in place of Liam Harvey-Cooper.

After Taylor had gone close with two efforts Gorleston took the lead halfway through the first half. Darren Cockrill chipped the ball forward, Forbes deftly flicked it perfectly on for Chris Sandford to volley past Scott Howie, writes DAVID HARDY.

With 38 minutes gone an excellent through ball by Andy Howell, from deep inside his own half, found McKenna who coolly lobbed the advancing keeper.

Wroxham pressed Gorleston back straight from the second half kick off and Jack Whatmough had to push a Paul Cook effort over his bar. Then somehow he managed to grab an effort from the resulting corner which looked destined for the goal.

Andy Eastaugh then headed a golden opportunity over a virtually open goal.

It seemed the Greens had weathered the storm. Sandford broke through but badly miscued his effort and then a Daniels shot from just inside the box was fingertipped round the post.

Sandford then had an effort saved, and his follow-up was headed away by Paul Cousins.

With eight minutes left and Wroxham pressing again the Greens’ defence allowed a ball to bounce in the box, with it finding its way through to Danny Self to bundle in.

Harvey-Cooper had replaced Forbes and twice his pace created opportunities as Wroxham pushed forward for an equaliser.

He should have done much better with one effort, blasting wide with just Howie to beat, and the other time he appeared to be nudged in the back by two defenders as he burst into the box. He was deemed to have committed a foul.

As the game entered stoppage time Wroxham were throwing everything forward but it almost seemed an act of desperation as Ross Durrant launched a speculative effort from near 30 yards.

The ball went through a ruck of players, possibly leaving Whatmough unsighted, and found the bottom right corner.

From the restart Self launched a long-range effort, which struck a Gorleston defender on the way through to the bottom left corner.

Gorleston: Jack Whatmough, Tom Daniels (Kyle Howell 71), Reece Hunn, Darren Cockrill, Adam Thurtle, Eddie Thompson, Chris Sandford, Andy Howell, Ali McKenna, Mitch Forbes (Liam Harvey-Cooper 81), Steve Taylor

Goals: Sandford 22, McKenna 38

Bookings: Taylor 75, Sandford 92, McKenna 92

Wroxham: Scott Howie, Danny Self, Shaun Howes (Ross Durrant 46), Paul Cousins, Graham Challen, Andy Eastaugh (David Hinton 77), Matt Daniels (Gary Gilmore 57), Gavin Lemmon, Paul Cook, Ben Thompson, Craig Terrington.

Goals: Self 82, 90, Durrant 90

n Gorleston Reserves were without a league game last week and this week are in action at home against Walsham le Willows Reserves.

On Tuesday night Yarmouth Reserves will visit Emerald Park in what should be a cracking game with both teams going well in the league, and only one point separating them. Manager Lee Henwood has decided to join up with Mike Derbyshire’s Bloaters, so Kevin Webb will now take on responsibility for the Greens second string.

n Goals from Armes, Docherty, Pretlove, Roberts and a Middleton brace saw Gorleston Under 18s beat Norwich Utd 6-0 last week.