GORLESTON goal ace Christy Finch is set to miss out on tomorrow’s tough-looking Ridgeons League Premier Division trip to Ely City.

Finch celebrated becoming a permanent Greens player after his successful loan move from Lowestoft by scoring for the fifth consecutive game, taking his tally to seven in six games against Hadleigh on Saturday.

But his afternoon went downhill as he picked up an injury and Richard Daniels’ outfit lost their first game in six. Although the injury is not as bad as was first feared, Finch will miss the trip to Cambridgeshire. Richard Woodrow is also still out injured but Steve Taylor is hopeful he will be back.

Ely are currently two places above the 9th-placed Greens and a point ahead, having played a game less. They are also undefeated in the league this season at their Unwin Ground home. Since losing two of their first three league games, the Robins are undefeated in the last 10, a run that started with a victory at Emerald Park back in August.

In that game Gorleston were ahead through an Ali McKenna goal, before Ely equalised and then eventually scored a winner two minutes into injury time.

The draw for the second round of the League Cup was made last week and handed Gorleston a trip to Wroxham. The game will be played on November 22.

Gorleston are hosting an Evening with Chelsea Legends Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris and Charlie Cooke at Gorleston Golf club on Tuesday. Tickets are �30, which includes a three-course meal. The last few tickets are available from David Cooke telephone 01493 856636.

Gorleston 2 Hadleigh United 3

THIS topsy-turvy encounter on Halloween weekend produced few tricks and no treats for Gorleston fans.

There were four changes from the midweek League Cup win at Diss with Elliot Pride returning in goal and Eddie Thompson coming back into the defence. Gary Williams started and Christy Finch, who has now become a fully-fledged Green, was the preferred choice to partner Mitch Forbes.

Gorleston couldn’t have got off to a much better start, writes DAVID HARDY.

A Darren Cockrill drive thundered back off the bar in the first minute and it wasn’t long after before Gorleston took the lead. Reece Hunn and Chris Sandford combined to slide a ball through for Forbes to run on to and slot past the advancing keeper into the net.

However, the lead lasted barely seven minutes before a Hadleigh free kick from the right was headed in by Oliver Canfer. Worse was to follow for the Greens as, three minutes later, another high ball into the box was fumbled by Pride with the ball dropping out of his hands, hitting Stuart Joplin, and finding the net. Hadleigh had their tails up now and Gorleston were struggling to get their game together but, nine minutes before the break, they levelled.

Kyle Howell surged down the right, his cross finding Finch who side footed into the bottom corner.

However, Finch didn’t take much further part in the game when he picked up an injury soon after, which resulted in him being replaced by Ali McKenna and heading off to hospital for an X-ray.

A frantic start to the second half saw Andy Howell have a shot blocked before a Hadleigh long throw found Joplin with his effort striking the bar. Jamie Godbold then tried a dink over the keeper which he stretched to hold under his bar.

The game became a little ragged with Hadleigh working hard and pushing the Greens back. It was no real surprise when, after 70 minutes, Hadleigh were the next to score. Right back Chris McLaughlin stole into the box and thumped the ball into the net.

Pride became the busier of the two goalkeepers saving from a close-range Joplin header and then somehow scrambling the ball away when Canfer looked sure to score. He denied Remi Garret after Gorleston had played themselves into trouble.

The Greens tried to apply pressure in the closing stages but too many high balls were just what Hadleigh ordered, and the Greens winning run came to an end.

Gorleston: Elliot Pride, Kyle Howell, Reece Hunn, Darren Cockrill, Andy Howell, Eddie Thompson, Chris Sandford, Jamie Godbold (Scott Woodgate 86), Mitch Forbes, Christy Finch (Ali McKenna 44), Gary Williams (Liam Harvey-Cooper 60)

Bookings: Hunn 35

Goals: Forbes 13, Finch 36

Hadleigh: Dan Heath, Chris McLaughlin, Jack Cawley, Michael Steward, Shaun French, Kris Rose, Luke Ingram, Oliver Canfer, Stuart Joplin, Ben Deacon (Remi Garret 77), Danny Allen (Daryl Alexander 52)

Bookings: Cawley 33, Rose 44, French 51, Ingram 77

Goals: Canfer 20, Joplin 23, McLaughlin 70