Wroxham 2 Gorleston 0

Perhaps Gorleston’s best chance of silverware this season faded out in the fog at Trafford Park on Tuesday night.

A goal at the end of each half gave the Yachtsmen their second victory over the Greens in 10 days, writes DAVID HARDY.

Gorleston made just two changes from the side that had beaten Walsham-le-Willows. Adam Thurtle returned to replace Eddie Thompson whose turn it was to rest on the bench. Mitch Forbes was not available due to an injured foot. Ian Morgan got his first start in a Gorleston shirt.

The first chance of note came after seven minutes when a corner fell to David Hinton but Steve Taylor was in the right place to head off the line.

Both sides were evenly matched although Jack Whatmough was the busier of the two keepers.

Scott Howie in the Wroxham goal dropped one cross under pressure from Liam Harvey-Cooper however the referee awarded him a free kick and then Whatmough tipped over a Ross Durrant shot that had taken a slight deflection on the way.

Reece Hunn trickery produced a cross which Jamie Godbold laid back to Ally McKenna on the edge of the box but his effort rose over the bar.

With virtually the last kick of the half Durrant received the ball with with back to goal almost 25 yards out. With the Gorleston defence wanting offside, Durrant turned and struck a shot which beat Whatmough to his left, struck the inside of the post and nestled in the net.

With an hour gone Whatmough, who had fallen awkwardly saving an earlier shot, was forced off with an injured side and, with no substitute goalkeeper, Taylor took over the gloves.

Wroxham kept pressing but Gorleston perhaps created the best two openings.

Firstly Godbold found Kyle Howell on the right who dribbled into the box, cutting in to his left, but his shot flew past the angle of post and bar. Harvey-Cooper then had a shot pushed wide by keeper Howie.

Taylor saved one low effort with his legs at the near post but was not put under too much pressure from Wroxham. However, he could do nothing about their second goal with just a minute left when Gary Gilmore unleashed a 20-yard rocket.

Gorleston: Jack Whatmough (Gary Williams 60), Kyle Howell, Reece Hunn, Ian Morgan (Jack Garrod 70), Adam Thurtle, Andy Howell, Chris Sandford, Jamie Godbold, Ali McKenna, Liam Harvey-Cooper, Steve Taylor

Wroxham: Scott Howie, Danny Self, Craig Terrington (Shaun Howes 68), Josh Carus, Graham Challen, Ross Durrant, Matt Daniels, Gavin Lemmon, Paul Cook (Damien Hilton 64), David Hinton (Ben Jones 74), Gary Gilmore

Goals: Durrant 44, Gilmore 89

Bookings: Gilmore 77.

Walsham le Willows 0 Gorleston 2

TWO goals in seven minutes gave Gorleston victory against a battling Walsham side.

In three changes from the Diss win, Kyle Howell returned at right back and Jamie Godbold came back into the starting line-up. Liam Harvey-Cooper was given a deserved start after his two goals against the Tangerines whilst Adam Thurtle was rested on the bench with Andy Howell dropping in to the back four.

The Greens began playing up the slope, on a narrow pitch, and, despite an early chance for Jamie Godbold after six minutes which was cleared off the line, had an uphill battle to get their game going.

Walsham had a big shout for a penalty on 24 minutes after Ryan Foster felt he was impeded and then Will Brown saw his effort deflected wide by the Gorleston defence.

Ally McKenna had Gorleston’s first chance after 28 minutes when a Reece Hunn shot was deflected into his path but he was stretching and couldn’t steer the ball around the keeper.

It was McKenna who turned provider after 35 minutes when he received a ball in the box, holding off a defender to tee it up for Godbold to fire home from the edge of the area to give Gorleston the lead.

Two minutes later an almost identical chance fell to Godbold again but he pulled it wide. However, on 42 minutes a Godbold free kick into the box saw Harvey-Cooper rising to head in to double Gorleston’s advantage and score his third goal in two games, and eighth of the season.

The Greens struggled to settle in the second half and any thoughts that playing down the slope with a two goal advantage would give them an easy path to the final whistle were soon dispelled. Walsham were having the better of the play but the Greens created perhaps the best opening of the game when Mitch Forbes picked up a poor throw from the keeper but, with McKenna totally free in the middle, Forbes’ cross was too high and McKenna was unable to direct it into the goal.

With Whatmough holding a late Jack Brame effort and Brown standing on the ball as he burst through, Gorleston clinched the win and a first clean sheet in 12 games.

Gorleston: Jack Whatmough, Kyle Howell, Reece Hunn (Jack Garrod 87), Andy Howell, Liam Harvey-Cooper (Ian Morgan 80), Eddie Thompson, Chris Sandford, Jamie Godbold, Ali McKenna, Mitch Forbes (Gary Williams 73), Steve Taylor

Goals: Godbold 35, Harvey-Cooper 42

Bookings: Taylor 51

Walsham le Willows: Duncan McAnally, Matt Morton, Jonny Lambert (Charlie Robinson 71), Tom Fenner, Trevor Newman, Lee Sim, Jack Brame, Ryan Foster, Sam Diaper, Will Brown, Paul Musgrove