On a mild and damp early spring afternoon at the Wellesley the Bloaters faced a crunch relegation battle with fellow struggler’s Parsons Drove who have been in very good form since the end of January after making several new signings.

 

Yarmouth made only one change from the mid-week defeat at Leiston, with Beeson coming in to replace McQueen.

 

Before the match started there was a minutes applause held to celebrate the life of Arthur Fisk the club’s life President, who very sadly lost his battle with cancer recently.

 

The home side got off to a shaky start when in the 1st minute a defensive error from a back pass let in Pelembe, who’s effort at goal was well saved by Lane in the Yarmouth goal.

 

Yarmouth then began to feel their feet and get a foot hold in this encounter and in the 23rd minute a cross from the right by Barnden found Fenn, who struck the ball home from 7 yards out to put his team 1-0- up.

 

Then 4 minutes later Yarmouth should have doubled their lead when firstly Beeson found himself clean through on goal with only the keeper to beat, but his attempt was foiled by Gilmour at point blank range and from the save the ball then fell to Jacobs who’s effort was once again well saved by Gilmour the visitors keeper, who turned the shot away for a corner.

 

That was unfortunately the last of the days action for Beeson as on the half-hour mark he took a knock to his knee and was replaced by Trennery, and Yarmouth then had a couple more opportunities to secure a 2 goal cushion, the best of them being in the 35th minute when following a Halliday free kick the ball fell to skipper Couzens who blasted the ball at the goal from close range, but yet again Parsons Drove’s man of the match Gilmour pulled off another superb save to deny him.

 

The general fear amongst the watching faithful in the stands was that all of these clear chances not taken would come back to haunt their team and indeed just before half-time following another defensive mistake Bird was allowed the space to tap the ball home form 5 yards out to level the game at 1-1 going into the break.

 

Half Time:  Great  Yarmouth Town  1 Parsons Drove  1.

 

The 2nd period started well for the Bloaters when on 50 minutes Fenn run onto a ball played through the middle to superbly slot his effort past the keeper and put the home team back in front once again, however Parsons Drove then responded by hitting the post from a Perkins free kick and this match was still very finely poised.

 

There was then a long delay as Lane received treatment after colliding with the post trying to keep out the Perkins free kick, however he was able to continue which in the context of this match was crucial to the home sides chances of picking up the all important 3 points and 5 minutes later Barnden managed to stick the ball into the net from 2 yards out following a Halliday corner and finally the Bloaters had that vital 2 goal cushion they richly deserved with the number of chances they had created.

 

Already 3-1 down and with a mountain to climb Drove then lost their skipper Brown after 70 minutes who was given a straight red card after bringing down Jacobs on the edge of the box and the referee adjudged that there were no other defenders covering, therefore he had to go.

 

Yarmouth then brought on Willetts to replace Melo and in the 88th minute the impressive Jacobs went clean through on goal to make it 4-1 and game set and match for the home side!

 

Man of the match Fenn then went off to a standing ovation from the Bloaters faithful and was replaced by Connor Smith and in injury time a spectacular long range and perfectly placed lob at goal from just over the half-way line from Couzens sailed over the keepers head and into the net for the goal of the season at the Wellesley!

 

There was even time for a 6th deep into injury time when Smith hit an excellent strike from 25 yards out that went straight into the corner of the net.

 

A great win and one that I am sure would have made Arthur Fisk watching from above very happy!

 

Full Time:  Great Yarmouth Town 6.  Parsons Drove.  1.     Attendance: 93.

 

GYTFC Line up:  Lane, Halliday, Duffield, Barnden, Barnes, Philpott, Fenn, Melo, Beeson, Couzens, Jacobs.  Subs:  C. Smith, Soares, Trennery, Willetts, Vincent.

 

Man of the Match: Jesse Fenn.