GYTFC v Haverhill Borough. Saturday 16th December. Report by Martin Baxter.
After a very long 10 weeks wait Yarmouth finally got to play a match at the Wellesley again when they entertained basement boys Haverhill Borough.
The Bloaters named an unchanged side from last time out against Holland FC and for only the 2nd time season they had a substitute keeper (Alex Riches) on the bench.
This game started with the visitors having the first shot at goal when Burrell had a long range effort sail high over the bar in the 3rd minute and Yarmouth understandably after not having a competitive fixture for 3 weeks looked a little rusty and were struggling to get their passing game together.
The home side had their first opportunity in the 6th minute when from a Sanders corner Philpott rose highest with a header that went straight into the arms of Borough keeper Clements and 2 minutes later Clements watched a Sanders strike from 25 yards out go a yard wide of his left hand post.
In the 25th minute the visitors keeper was called into action once again, this time making a superb point blank save from Couzens, with the re-bound falling to Duffield, who somehow missed the target from only 5 yards out and gradually the Bloaters were getting on top of their opponents and were looking the more likely of the 2 sides to open the scoring and just before half-time they did exactly that when following a mistake in the centre of the park by a Borough player, the ball was seized on by Duffiled who then made a surging run into the box and perfectly placed his effort into the bottom right hand corner of the net to put the home side 1-0 up.
Half Time: Great Yarmouth Town 1 Haverhill Borough 0.
During the half-time break the general opinion amongst the Wellesley faithful was that now that they had got the all important first goal, the Bloaters would go on and put this game to bed with more goals in the 2nd period and they did indeed start the 2nd half on the front foot and on 55 minutes Cantwell came on for Wilson-Towns who looked as if he had taken a knock and was struggling.
On the hour mark Yarmouth made it 2-0 with a superb strike from Barber from 15 yards out, however just 2 minutes later and following a Borough free kick on the edge of the box the ball was spilled by keeper Ling and Burrell reacted quickest to tap the ball into the empty net to make it 2-1 and give his side a lifeline back into this match.
However that lifeline was all but extinguished just 8 minutes later when following another error in the visitors back line, Sanders run through on goal and clinically struck the ball into the net from close range to make it 3-1 and in the 75th minute both Thompson and Jacobs were introduced into the battle as once again the Yarmouth coaching staff made full use of their match day squad and in the 78th minute a free kick from Belmar sailed into the visitors 6 yard box and just missed the head of Couzens by a a matter of inches.
In the 80th minute it was finally game over as a perfect low cross from Belmar cutting in from on the left flank was met by Sanders, who netted from 6 yards out to make it 4-1. Fenn then came on for Duffield in the 82nd minute and a minute later when following a superb run down the right wing from Halliday his low cross was met by Belmar, who finished perfectly from 8 yards out to make it 5-1.
With virtually the last kick of the game the Yarmouth defence turned off and gave away a scrappy consolation goal from close range to make it 5-2 and this win moved the Bloaters back up into the top 4, with several games in hand on some of the teams above them.
Full Time: Great Yarmouth Town 5 Haverhill Borough 2.
GYTFC: Ling, Halliday, Philpott, Wilson-Towns, Adams, Barnes, Duffiled, Barber, Couzens, Sanders, Belmar. Subs: Thompson, Cantwell, Jacobs, Fenn, Riches.
Joint Man of the match: Aaron Sanders and Mitchell Belmar.
