Hemsby were missing a couple of players from last week’s hard earned win and also had a late call-off as they welcomed a much changed Beccles Caxton for the first home game of the season.

Trying a new formation for the first time took a bit of time to sink in and the usual passing game just didn’t fall into place.

Caxton were the better side for majority of the first 30 minutes, although it was the home side that had the first real chance when, following some good play, Kristian Sutton’s effort beat the keeper, but hit the post and came away.

The deadlock was broken with 15 minutes played when the ball was lost in the middle, played forward and as Rui Goncalves rushed to the edge of his area a Caxton striker lifted the ball over him and into the net.

This prompted a reshuffle back to a more familiar formation and the team seemed a lot more at ease straight away and in the 29th minute fashioned an equaliser when Reece Hopper played a great ball for Sutton to run onto and he finished well for his first goal of the season.

Both teams upped their game as they went looking for a second, but it was the home side that came closest right on half-time, when Sutton made the keeper work, but again he managed to save from close range.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first with both teams trying to gain the upper hand, but both defences holding firm. Hemsby had the ball in the net following a corner that was half cleared and an effort from outside the area by Jonathon Peirce was spilled by the keeper and tapped into the net by Grant Osben, only to see the linesman’s flag go up for offside.

With time running out Caxton had one more chance as a player managed to lift the ball over Goncalves and as it was about to be tapped into the open net, Shannon Deeks managed to divert it away from the goal.

Although not the best performance from Hemsby, this was a very hard earned point against a side that will cause problems to a lot of the top teams.

The Norton Peskett Solicitors man of the match was Shannon Deeks.

Hemsby won their opening Anglian Combination Division Three fixture 4-2 at Hempnall, with goals from Joe Youngs (29), Grant Osben (32), Reece Hoooper (76) and Shannon Deeks (78).

Hemsby visit Hempnall in the Cyril Ballyn Cup on Saturday (2).