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Ridgeons League football at its best was served up at the Crown Meadow on Tuesday as Lowestoft Town and Wroxham produced a 90 minute extravaganza. The Blues maintained their 100% start to the season with an odd goal of 5 victory over the Yachtsmen. With Matty Potter pulling up in the warm up, teenager Jack Marsden, pre-season signing from Gorleston, was given his debut in the left back berth and acquitted himself very well.
The game started at a fast pace but not how Lowestoft would have liked with Wroxham moving ahead in the 9th minute. Yachtsmen’s keeper McAnally’s long punt forward bounced the wrong side of Darren Cockrill and Cook seized on the chance to shoot low past Andy Reynolds.
The Blues did not succumb to that early blow and started to take the game to Wroxham and levelled the scores in the 22nd minute. Carl Poppy’s cross into the danger area was headed back by Gary McGee for Jamie Godbold to collect and clip over McAnally into the top corner of the net.
Russell Stock’s slipped the ball to McGee but McAnally saved with his legs. Lowestoft took the lead in the 36th minute with Reece Hunn taking the ball into the penalty area and when he was blocked Dale Cockrill pounced on the ball to take it past McAnally and shoot home from 6 yards.
The second half followed a similar fast pace with Stock curling a shot just round the post and at the other end Reynolds pushed a Gleave header over the bar following a left wing corner. Penalty appeals were turned down as McGee tumbled but Stock took the ball on and crossed to Richard Woodrow who could not get sufficient power in his header to beat McAnally.
Lowestoft were turning on the style and Godbold and Stock combined down the right but McGee’s far post header was tipped over the bar by the excellent McAnally. Wroxham too were posing some questions and Poppy was on hand to clear off the line with Reynolds struggling.
The Blues finally got the 3rd goal they deserved in the 68th minute as Hunn fed Godbold whose mazy run into the area saw him felled and Woodrow stepped up to convert the resultant penalty. The rampant Blues went searching for another goal and Godbold saw his chip land on the roof of the net after a Poppy flag corner had been only partially cleared and then McAnally had to scamper back toward his own goal to clear a sliced clearance from Fulcher.
Wroxham were given a late lifeline 6 minutes from time as Reynolds failed to collect a cross from Harley and the ball rebounded off the unlucky Poppy into his own net. Wroxham had one last chance as a Wines cross was met by the head of Hilton but Reynolds saved comfortably and it was the Blues back on the attack as the game came to an end.
Match and ball sponsor - Sunningdale Associates
Man of the Match: Richard Woodrow
Team: Reynolds, Poppy, Marsden, Woodrow, Saunders, Darren Cockrill, Godbold, Dale Cockrill (Sub Hough 89), Stock (Sub King 89), McGee, Hunn, subs (not used), Potter, Smith, Attridge.
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