Saturday's local football round-up: Home wins for AFC Sudbury and Stowmarket Town secure upward movement in top six, Lakenheath and Woodbridge Town share eight goals and county cup progression for likes of Ipswich Wanderers, Thetford Town and Harleston Town
In the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division, AFC Sudbury bounced back from their last-gasp defeat against Hashtag United with a 1-0 home win over Barking to move up a place to third.
Academy midfielder Luke Hipkin scored the decisive goal in the 38th minute with a free kick to warm a bumper crowd of 463, which included guests from St Gregory's Primary School.
The game was also notable for the debut of striker George Purcell against the club he had left to sign for the Suffolk side.
The three points leaves Rick Andrews and Angelo Harrop's side three points off leaders Canvey Island and second-placed Dereham Town, after the latter won 1-0 at the former. Sudbury have two games in hand on the Norfolk side.
Despite having 19 shots to their opponents' five, Bury Town suffered their second home league defeat of the season, 2-0 against lower half side Basildon United, to see Ben Chenery's side drop two places to ninth in the table.
The visitors took the lead against the run of play on the stroke of half-time through Steven Sardina and doubled their advantage with a breakaway goal in the final regulation minute through Marlon Stratford.
The Blues, who went from four to five points off the play-off spots with a game in hand over most above them, handed a debut to former Sudbury forward Dan Gilchrist.
A last-minute headed winner at Greens Meadow from Tom Bullard saw Stowmarket Town jump back into the play-off places (4th) at opponents' Aveley's (6th) expense with a 2-1 victory.
Evan Collard had given the Old Gold & Blacks a first-half lead that was cancelled out just before the hour mark by George Sykes.
It made it six league games undefeated (five wins) ahead of turning their attention to the opening round of the Turners Hyundai Suffolk Premier Cup on Tuesday when they will host higher-league Lowestoft Town (7.45pm).
Soham Town Rangers remain bottom of the Northern Premier League Midlands Division following a 4-1 home defeat to Bedworth United.
Player-manager Robbie Mason scored a late consolation goal for the Greens who have now lost their last eight matches.
Needham Market saw their unbeaten run – which had encompassed five games (four wins) in all competitions – come to an end with a 3-1 home defeat to Stourbridge in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central.
Luke Ingram's far post header from Callum Page's free kick early in the second half had got the Marketmen back on terms following conceding 15 minutes in.
But Montel Gibson went on to complete a hat-trick to consign Kevin Horlock's side to a first league defeat in four which sees them slip from 14th to 17th in the table.
Two points below them in the relegation play-off spot, having played four games more, are Lowestoft Town, who drew 1-1 at mid-table Stratford Town.
Both goals came in the first half with Jake Reed's 21st minute header responding to an early home goal for what proved enough for a second successive draw for the Trawlerboys who are without a win in eight.
Leiston conceded four times in the league – sandwiched between their 5-1 FA Trophy defeat at Bishop's Stortford – for the second game running, going down 4-0 at Hednesford Town.
It leaves Darren Eadie and Chris Wilder's side on the fringe of the play-off places in sixth, three points off the top five.
In the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, Walsham-le-Willows bounced back from their defeat at Newmarket Town with a 1-0 victory at struggling Brantham Athletic to move them up a place to fourth.
Charlie Cook scored the only goal of the game in the first half with a third straight defeat leaving Michael Brothers' Brantham side in the bottom two.
Newmarket Town moved up to seventh with a fourth straight league win, hitting four unanswered goals at Long Melford to continue the Villagers' search for a victory.
It was a memorable afternoon in particular for youngster Daniel Hobbs who scored in each half on his first-team debut, after impressing with 11 goals in 13 games in the reserves.
Ben Robinson had opened the scoring and the 4-0 victory was completed in the 77th minute by an eye-catching strike from left-back Jack Whiting.
It makes it nine games without a win for Jamie Bradbury's side who are fourth-from-bottom and level on points with the two sides below them.
Lakenheath (13th) - who are in FA Vase action this Saturday - and Woodbridge Town (8th) played out an entertaining 4-4 draw at The Pit.
The scoreline had been 3-3 at half-time with Kaine Manels opening the scoring on his first game since signing permanently for the hosts.
Tom Thulborn scored Lakenheath's other two in a see-saw first period with captain Sam Hawley having put them into a 4-3 lead early in the second period.
Andrew Crowe proved too much for the home defence to handle, scoring his fourth goal of the afternoon in the 57th minute.
Whitton United (18th) returned to action by sharing four goals at home to high-flying Mildenhall Town (3rd).
It had looked like the Ipswich-based side were set to claim a memorable three points but late goals from Daryl Coakley (83') and Tanner Call (88') cost them.
Tom Bradlaugh's 81st minute penalty had made it 2-0, following Asa Milliard's deflected first-half strike.
Elsewhere, Kirkley & Pakefield (14th) drew 1-1 at home to March Town United while Ely City (9th) lost 1-0 at Norwich United.
Haverhill Rovers (16th) saw their scheduled game at leaders Gorleston called off in the morning due to an unfit pitch.
Thetford Town managed to get through in their opening Ashtons Legal Norfolk Senior Cup tie at lower-league UEA, but it was anything but straight forward as they were locked at 2-2 at half-time before eventually winning 5-4.
Elliott Smith proved to be the cup hero for Matt Morton's side, completing his hat-trick in the 85th minute with what proved to be the winner at Dereham Town FC.
Harleston Town came through their local derby at home to lower-league Scole United with a 4-2 victory to get their name in the hat.
Nathan Stone scored twice in the second half, one from the penalty spot, to add to first-half goals from Ryan Crisp and Lawrence Cheese which had ensured a 2-1 interval lead.
Diss Town are out of the competition though following a 2-0 defeat at Downham Town.
Over in the CNet Training Suffolk Senior Cup, it was a straight forward passage through to the third round for Ipswich Wanderers who beat visiting Debenham LC 4-0.
Danny Cunningham, Paulo Coelho and Jacob Lay all scored in the first half to make it 89 goals in all competitions so far this season.
Needham Market Reserves were 5-0 winners at Achilles while both Leiston Reserves (4-4 at Bildeston Rangers) and AFC Sudbury Reserves (3-3 at Trimley Red Devils) had to come through penalty shootouts to seal their progress in the competition.
In the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South, Halstead Town dropped a place to third after losing 2-1 at lower half Barkingside which saw both sides end with 10 men.
Basement side Haverhill Borough's woes continued with a 5-0 defeat at home to Burnham Ramblers while Cornard United (18th) fell to back-to-back defeats, 2-1 at mid-table Wormley Rovers.
There were only two fixtures played in the First Division North, including Framlingham Town (8th) going down to a 3-1 home defeat to Peterborough North End.
Midweek fixtures (Kick-offs 7.45pm unless otherwise stated)
Tuesday, December 7
Pitching In Southern League Premier Central
Stratford Town v Needham Market
Pitching In Isthmian League North Division
Great Wakering Rovers v Bury Town
Turners Hyundai Suffolk Premier Cup (first round)
Stowmarket Town v Lowestoft Town
Whitton Utd v Walsham-le-Willows
Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup
Ely City v FC Parson Drove
Newmarket Town v Wisbech St Mary
