Diss Town 1 Gorleston 3

Two Keegan Middleton goals helped Gorleston to their first victory of the new era on Tuesday.

Manager Richard Daniels made two changes from the opening day draw as Joe Bell came into the defence and there was a welcome return in the back four to Josh Armes.

The Greens dominated the opening quarter of the game. Armes had the ball in the net as early as the fourth minute, but the referee ruled it out for a push.

Midway through the half a good advantage by the referee allowed Chad Pillar to burst into the box and cross low towards Reece Hunn, but a defender got back to prod the ball away.

The Greens finally took the lead in the 27th minute. Ally McKenna battled for the ball and was upended in the box by Chris Collins-Reed. Middleton stepped up to coolly send the keeper the wrong way and open his account for the season.

Four minutes later it could have been two when a Pillar flick-on put Hunn in wide. His low cross picked out McKenna whose shot was cleared by keeper Danny Cable’s legs.

After 34 minutes it was 2-0 thanks to a cracker of a shot. McKenna put the keeper under pressure wide in his box and won the ball, squaring to Pillar on the edge of the box. Defenders prevented Pillar shooting, but he laid the ball back to Middleton who hit a fantastic shot that flew into the top corner from 25 yards.

Four minutes before the break Pillar almost extended the lead when his long-range effort bounced off the top of the bar.

Diss made a half-time substitution and went to a back three and two wing backs. They began the second half stronger with an early Jordan Rocastle shot going straight to Jack Whatmough. Sandford curled a shot wide before, in the 55th minute, Gorleston put the result virtually beyond doubt. Middleton bent a corner in to the near post where McKenna reacted quickest to head the ball past the despairing grasp of Cable.

Gorleston were keeping the ball well, working hard and attacking with pace but it was Diss who struck next. With 11 minutes to go Matt Dixon threw himself between two Gorleston defenders, with a yell as he fell, and won his side a penalty which he duly stepped up to convert.

Gorleston: Whatmough, Daniels, Joe Bell, Goreham (John Bell 69), Armes, Thompson, Pillar, Sandford, McKenna (Watts 89), Middleton, Hunn (Roots 65). Booked: Goreham 65. Goals: Middleton 27 pen, 34, McKenna 55.

Diss: Cable, Griew (Lake 46), Mitchell, Shadrack, Ager, Collins-Reed, Rocastle (Baxter 75), Brown, Holmes, Dixon, O’Herlihy. Booked: O’Herlihy 82. Goal: Dixon 79 pen.

Attendance: 88