Wisbech Town 3, Great Yarmouth Town 2

Goals from Jake Reed and Gavin Norman looked to have given Yarmouth a point at Wisbech, but the Fenmen gained a late winner to deny the Bloaters what would have been a well-earned share of the spoils, writes Gerry Brown.

Yarmouth took an 18th-minute lead when the Wisbech goalkeeper failed to play to the whistle and instead of being awarded a free kick for a supposed foul by Reed, he could only watch as the Bloaters’ leading scorer went past him to put the ball in the back of the net for his fourth in the last four games.

But three minutes later the home side were level through an Andy Furnell header after a Wisbech free-kick had only been half-cleared. Ashley Stevens headed a second Wisbech goal on 32 minutes and the Fenmen pressed Yarmouth hard in the closing stages of the half.

The Bloaters silenced the home crowd three minutes after the break with their second goal, from Gavin Norman after a Reed effort was only parried by home keeper Lea Jordan.

And the Bloaters went on to have the better of the period and severely test Jordan and his defence. Strong appeals for a Wisbech handball offence in the home box went unheeded and Yarmouth went close on several occasions.

With regular keeper Michael Hilton suspended, Yarmouth had youth player Jake Jessup making a rare appearance between the sticks, and he too produced some great saves as he grew in confidence in the second half.

But it was the home side that came up with the goods in the 87th minute when, from a free-kick into the box, full-back Scott Johnson hooked a shot into the roof of the net.

The strength of Yarmouth’s second-half comeback is testified by the home side’s nomination of keeper Jordan as their man-of-the-match for some outstanding saves.

Yarmouth – J Jessup, B Junior, O Savage, G Spooner, C Duffy, R Catchpole, S Woodcock, D Smith, G Norman, J Reed, L Fell. Unused subs: F Vide, O McCarthy, J Bell.

Attendance - 224.