Great Yarmouth Town produced an excellent Boxing Day performance to claim the local bragging rights in front of a bumper crowd of 580.
This was an intriguing fixture with the Greens having comprehensively beaten the Bloaters in a Norfolk Senior Cup fixture earlier in the season.
However, the home side, who were sitting bottom of the Premier Division, were buoyed by two recent victories over Newmarket and Haverhill, with the squad boosted by the return of the Glover brothers and new signings Dylan Switters and Harry Draper. Joint managers Sinclair and Mason had the unusual luxury of fielding the same side that won well at Haverhill.
The Bloaters settled the better of the two sides as Switters and Draper showed some early promise with a neat opening exchange.
In the 10th minute a long throw by Josh Ford found the head Draper and his deft flick found Miles Palmer on the edge of the area but his rasping drive narrowly cleared the bar.
With 14 minutes gone, the deadlock was broken when the ball found its way to Palmer and his cross into the area eventually fell to Aaron Sanders, operating on the left. He controlled the ball and curled in a delightful shot over George Parkin into the top corner to give the home side the lead.
Gorleston responded with a quick break that ended with Luke Goreham shooting wide but the Bloaters could have extended their lead further when Ford’s deep free-kick found Draper at the far post but the youngster flashed his header wide.
The home side deservedly led at half-time and started the second half strongly as Sanders had an effort blocked after good play by Joel Glover and Draper. Connor Ingram did get behind the Bloaters’ defence but some resolute defending snuffed out the danger.
Switters, who was enjoying himself on his home debut, ran virtually the length of the pitch evading challenges and as he sprinted past Aarron Taylor he was bundled over in the penalty area but referee Ryan Head, who was well-positioned, deemed the challenged to be a fair one.
Kyle Howell then fired in a long throw that fell to Sanders inside the six yard box but he was unable to turn the bouncing ball into the net.
A long ball into space saw Draper and goalkeeper Parkin collide outside the area which led to both receiving extensive treatment before being replaced, the Greens’ keeper with a fractured eye socket. Midfielder Goreham took the gloves for the Greens and Chris Holmes replaced the impressive Draper for the home side.
The Bloaters thought they had scored a second when Sanders finished a good move involving Switters and Glover but the assistant ruled it out for offside. They didn’t have to wait much longer for the elusive second goal however as Ford hurled the ball into the danger area and Glover managed to flick the ball goalwards for Switters who smashed the ball past Goreham to double the Bloaters’ advantage.
The closest Gorleston came to scoring, and their only effort on target, was in the 82nd minute when a Danny Camish throw in was flicked on by Peter Lambert to Connor Ingram whose header looked destined for the top corner but was kept out by a flying save from home keeper Josh Glover.
MoM: Dylan Switters.
Gt Yarmouth Town: Josh Glover, Howell, Ford, Bartram, Ager (c), Forbes, Palmer (McAra 84), Switters, Joel Glover, Draper (Holmes 56), Sanders (Roots 72).
Gorleston: Parkin (Carinhas 56), Mackie (Yusuff 77), K Ingram, McKay, Shade, Taylor (c), C Ingram, Goreham, Lambert, Cantwell, Watts (Camish 72).
Attendance: 580.
Norwich United 2 Gorleston 2
Gorleston twice let the lead slip as they came away from Norwich United with a hard-earned point on Saturday.
There were three changes from the side that lost to Stowmarket last time out. Kyle Ingram, Jordan Cantwell and Luke Goreham all dropped to the bench with Angus Mackie, Danny Camish and Mitch McKay handed starts.
It was a bright start from the hosts, under the new management of Cedric Anselin, and it was somewhat against the run of play when the Greens took the lead midway through the first half.
A free-kick was swung into the box from Connor Ingram and David Shade rose highest to head home.
A big chance came and went for the Planters when a cross from the lively Jordan Forbes found George Watts-Sturrock unmarked but he headed well over.
The Greens began the second half better and probably should have extended their lead in the 55th minute.
Good work by Joel Watts on the left saw him slide the ball back to McKay who picked out Connor Ingram free in front of goal but his effort was too close to the keeper.
Norwich continued to dominate possession and Gorleston were sitting deeper and deeper and giving away numerous free-kicks and in the 77th minute what looked a coming together between McKay and a United player resulted in another one.
The Greens were then fully punished when Davis struck the 25 yard free-kick goalwards and a deflection off the wall wrong-footed Parkin and found the net for the equaliser.
Gorleston were not going to settle for a point and were back in front inside four minutes.
Good play by Connor Ingram on the right kept the ball alive and he travelled along the byline before pulling the ball back to Lambert on the edge of the six yard box. His first shot was blocked but the ball came back out to him and he made no mistake, burying his follow-up.
It was Lambert’s 79th league goal and 93rd overall in a Gorleston shirt.
This time the lead lasted just four minutes.
Yet another Norwich free-kick was played into the box, Gorleston didn’t clear and a scramble ensued which ended with Craig Bussens poking the ball home.
Gorleston: Parkin, Ramm, Mackie, McKay, Shade, Taylor (capt), Camish (K Ingram 70), Hannant (Goreham 60), Lambert, C Ingram, Watts (Carinhas 80).
Referee: Abigail Marriott. Attendance: 147.
Haverhill Rovers 1 Great Yarmouth Town 2
Great Yarmouth Town picked up a second successive win to boost their survival hopes - despite missing two penalties.
The 16-strong squad was boosted with three midweek signings and the news that Joel Glover’s three game ban for a straight red card against Newmarket had been overturned.
This meant the big stiker started up top and at the opposite end his twin brother Josh Glover took the number one shirt.
With Haverhill placed 10 places above the Bloaters the challenge in front of the young visitors was a big one but they made a positive start.
Much of the play and tempo was being dictated by Charlie Bartram and new signing Dylan Switters in the centre of the park. It was Switters who created the first clear-cut chance as he drove into the box and was upended for a penalty that referee Mark Chalkly had no hesitation in awarding on 26 minutes. Top scorer Aaron Sanders stepped up but his spot-kick hit the upright.
The Bloaters showed good character to quickly recover from the setback and good play by Palmer set up Howell for a deep cross from the right which another new signing Harry Draper superbly headed home on 35 minutes.
After the interval Haverhill came more into the game but the Bloaters soaked up the pressure well. Strong hold-up play by Draper then set up Switters for a 20 yard strike that skimmed the crossbar on 50 minutes before the second goal arrived five minutes later. A cross from Sanders picked out Draper who cushioned a perfect header into the path of the arriving Glover who half volleyed a fantastic drive into the bottom corner for his first goal of the season in a Yarmouth shirt. Haverhill responded quickly as a slip at the back on the heavy pitch allowed their striker to run clear one on one with Glover. Despite Glover getting a hand to the effort the ball rolled inside the post to give the hosts a lifeline on 60 minutes.
At the other end further strong play from Draper saw him wriggle between two defenders to set himself clear. Just as he was about to unleash his shot he was pulled down and the referee pointed immediately to the spot and sent off the defender. Draper struck the ball to the keeper’s right but he pulled off an astonishing save and the ball struck the bar and went away to safety.
In the final stages the 10 men of Haverhill went for a point and corner after corner had to be defended.
But the Bloaters held firm and a sigh of relief could almost be heard from their bench as the final whistle sounded to end a fine away performance from the league’s bottom side.
Great Yarmouth: Glover, Howell, Ford, Bartram, Ager, Forbes, Palmer, Switters, Glover (Holmes 89), Draper, Sanders. Subs (not used): McAra, George, Lardner, Urry.
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