Gorleston suffered their fourth defeat in a row, with their end of season form threatening to take the gloss off what has been a fine season.

The Greens would have been unchanged from their defeat to Mildenhall but plans were thrown into disarray when Jack Garrod was injured in the warm-up, meaning Connor Ingram had to replace him from the bench.

The visitors started brightly enough but after 15 minutes there was a warning for Gorleston as a deep free-kick found Daniel Thrower at the back post who headed wide.

Three minutes later Ipswich took the lead. The hosts found acres of space in the centre of the park and fed the ball wide to Kyron Andrews, who had time to put in a cross that found the head of Thrower and this time the striker made no mistake.

After half an hour Wanderers doubled their lead following a lovely move along the left flank. Paulo Coelho played a neat one-two which put him through and he drilled a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Gorleston began to find their passing game in the closing stages of the half and four minutes before the break Ingram crossed low across the face of goal where Kyle Baker was waiting, but he scuffed the ball back across goal.

Minutes later Baker turned nicely into the box and this time got his shot away but it was straight at the keeper.

Eight minutes into the second period Ipswich keeper James Bradbrook palmed an Ingram corner off the head of Aaron Taylor as he look poised to head goalwards. Then an Ingram 20-yard effort bounced awkwardly in front of the keeper who could only parry back into the centre of the goal to Joel Watts, following up, but the flag was quickly raised.

The second half had so far been better from Gorleston but they were finding it difficult to break down a stubborn defence. Ricci Butler pushed George Yusuff up front, with Ross Goodwin replacing Watts, but the Greens still couldn’t find a goal and the points were secured for Wanderers with a minute remaining. A slip at the back allowed Thrower to pounce and go clean through before lifting the ball calmly over the advancing Taurean Molloy and into the net.

Gorleston: Molloy, Clements, Wise, Burrage, Yusuff, Taylor, Ingram, Goreham, Ingram, KBaker, Watts (Goodwin 79).