DISS U18 travelled to Debenham Leisure Centre and lost 5-2.Debenham, with two former Diss Reserves and Diss U18 players Paul Smith and Liam Smith in their line-up, caught Diss cold at the start of each half to record a win which was not as convincing as the final score may suggest.

DISS U18 travelled to Debenham Leisure Centre and lost 5-2.

Debenham, with two former Diss Reserves and Diss U18 players Paul Smith and Liam Smith in their line-up, caught Diss cold at the start of each half to record a win which was not as convincing as the final score may suggest.

The first goal came after 55 seconds when a long ball towards the edge of the penalty area resulted in Reece Turner getting his head to the ball to send it into the net as keeper Jack Buckmaster came out and only succeeded in punching his captain, Callum Ellis, in the head as he went for the ball.

Ellis was forced to leave the field 20 minutes later when the effects of the blow left him weak. Luke Squire also went off ill.

By this stage Debenham were 2-0 up.

In the 15th minute Midas Betterton aimed to cross low from the left but the ball took a deflection and Buckmaster was unable to change directions to keep it out.

However, a minute later he made a fine save to keep out a Turner header. The third goal came in the 39th minute when a long range shot was diverted in by Nathan Smith from just inside the penalty area.

Nathan Smith made it 4-0 with a fine shot 30 seconds into the second half. Diss played some good passing football in the second half but well struck shots by Tom Gibbs and Terry Minshull were just too high after fine build-up play. Joe Rumsey had a 50th minute in-swinging wind-assisted corner headed off the line at the far post.

Diss pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute when Rumsey played a free-kick in from the left and Joe Clements could only push it up in the air and James Hitter was the quickest to react as he headed it in from four yards out.

Diss failed to clear a 78th-minute corner and Ainsley hope shot in to make it 5-1 from 12 yards out. A minute later Kieran Nicholls used his strength to win the ball and move forward. He found Ross Shaen-Carter and he took the ball forward and fired his shot in from six yards out.

Debenham man of the match: Reece Turner was a handful in attack and his aerial threat was evident from the first minute when he opened the scoring.

Diss man of the match: James Hitter had a good all-round game. He battled well in midfield and looked calm when dropping back to centre-half. He capped his night with his first goal of the season for Diss U18s.

The next two Diss U18 league games are all away from home - at Ipswich Wanderers U18s on Thursday, October 9 (kick-off 7.45pm) and at Stowmarket U18 on Tuesday, October 14 (kick-off 7.45pm).