Godmanchester Rovers 0, Gorleston 1AT Bearscroft Lane heavy downpours had the groundstaff working hard to get the game on, writes Darren Webb. A wind-assisted goal from a second-half free-kick earned the win.

Godmanchester Rovers 0, Gorleston 1

AT Bearscroft Lane heavy downpours had the groundstaff working hard to get the game on, writes Darren Webb.

A wind-assisted goal from a second-half free-kick earned the win.

The Greens started with a 3-5-2 formation with Richard Gillings making his first team debut this season for the suspended Sean Blowers.

The visitors had to battle a strong wind and driving rain in the first half which made the football difficult.

Godmanchester created the first clear-cut chance in the 20th minute when a shot by James Hall went just wide.

This was followed by Gorleston quickly breaking from the back with DJ Kareche providing a cross for Bowers who shot just wide of Connor in the Goddy goal.

Bowers and Bell have a good understanding in the midfield, and also involving Taylor they created a chance for Howes but the ball got lost at his feet and was cleared by Godmanchester captain Steve Thompson.

The Greens were caught out in the 35th minute when James Hall received the ball from a Pride goal kick which held up in the wind. He struck the ball well but the alert Pride made an excellent save, albeit into the path of the onrushing Josh Kamau who then shot wildly high and wide.

Gorleston had a similar chance with a Howes shot parried into the path of Lambert, who also blasted high and wide.

It looked like the Greens were going to take the lead when Howes was one on one with the keeper when the referee blew for half-time.

The Greens came out in the second half with the wind at their backs and it soon began to show with Howes and Lambert having chances early on. Influential captain Eddie Thompson limped off after a bad challenge and was replaced by Luke Goreham who took the captain's armband, and the Greens then resorted to a 4-4-2 formation.

Bell had a shot saved well by Connor and Bowers had a chance go just wide from a Lambert cross.

Gorleston won a free-kick out on the touchline 45 yards out and Bowers stepped up to deliver a telling cross. With the wind behind it, the keeper came out to make a routine catch but the ball slipped through his hands and ended up in the back of the net.

The Greens were now in control and could even sit back and relax a little as the wind was taking its toll on the Godmanchester players.

Lambert had a goal ruled out for offside again from a Bowers free-kick, before he was replaced by Forbes.

The non-stop Steve Taylor had a half-chance when he received the ball from Bell - turning and shooting well for Connor to save equally impressively.

Callum Webb came on for Howes who had put in an excellent performance for the Greens up front. Goreham had a shot from out wide on the left come back off the crossbar and Taylor and Forbes both had chances go wide in the dying minutes.

Manager Richard Daniels said “We totally deserved our win, the conditions were dreadful, but we played all the football again and got our rewards.”

Team: Pride, Kareche, Daniels, Thurtle, Gillings, Thompson, Bowers, Bell, Howes, Lambert, Taylor. Subs used; Goreham, Forbes, Webb.

The first team host Sheringham in the fourth round of the Norfolk Senior Cup on Saturday, ko 3pm. The U18 side travel to Dereham on Tuesday, ko 7.45pm.