Great Yarmouth Town conceded four goals in the final 15 minutes, with a red card not helping their cause, to lose a game they looked like getting something out of.

A young squad travelled to Brantham with player unavailability that blighted the club earlier in the season unfortunately returning. However there were welcome returns for Josh Ford, Ray Urry and Dylan Switters.

Chris Holmes returned to replace Harry Draper, who has left the club after a successful loan spell to joined Hitchin Town.

After a torrid start it was no surprise to see the Bloaters go behind after eight minutes when an cross from the right was swept home by Howel.

The Bloaters started to find a way into the game as Glover, Palmer and Switters created a good chance that was blocked. The visitors then had a claim for a penalty as Switters went down in the box, but the referee was unimpressed.

Then some good football by the visitors saw Urry find Holmes and his deflected cross found Sanders whose volley whistled past the upright. In an end to end game Brantham’s George Clarke shrugged off a challenge before hitting a shot on the turn that clattered the bar.

The visitors’ endeavours were rewarded when Switters capitalised on a slip in the home defence by planting a firm shot past the keeper to level on 40 minutes.

The Bloaters started the second half well and Urry’s shot floated narrowly wide of the upright with keeper Avenell beaten. With the half 20 minutes old influential skipper Ager limped off with an ankle injury as a game with chances at both ends appeared to be heading for a draw.

But on 76 minutes an innocuous ball into the visitors’ box was only half cleared and was pounced on by a home striker who hit a shot on the turn that found the back of the net to make it 2-1. Two minutes later another Plane cross was bundled home to give the Imps a flattering 3-1 lead.

Switters responded with a shot that fizzed past the post and then Urry launched himself into a tackle that rightly earned the young defender a red card and prompted an ugly melee between both sets of players. With the game now virtually over, youngsters Hodge and Lardner were introduced to gain some first team experience.

The game was now stretched and a Forbes back pass saw Beckwith’s clearance rebound off a striker and he tapped the ball into the empty net and the misery was compounded when the home side scored a fifth late on.

Team: Beckwith, Urry, Ford, Bartram, Ager, Forbes, Palmer, Switters, Glover, Holmes, Sanders.

Subs: George, Lardner, Hodge.