Football: Scole hopes end after defeat

Acle United Reserves 5 Scole United 3

Scole lost a thrilling game to Acle Reserves on Saturday to extinguish their Anglian Combination Division Two promotion hopes.

Acle had a very good side out for this game and it was an excellent game of football.

Scole played some lovely football in the opening minutes, but gradually Acle started to impose their slick football on the game and went one up after 15 minutes when their tricky wideman beat Ellis who hauled him down for a penalty which was duly converted.

Scole equalised within five minutes. A corner was driven in by Bloomfield and Solley rose highest to power in a typical header.

Flint then went close, but Scole were struggling to contain Acle as well. Scole conceded a poor second goal before half-time. Acle took a very quick throw-in when Scole were still re-organising and after a quick cross in, their centre forward stabbed the ball home.

Both teams knew that the first goal of the second half was crucial and it went to Acle. Keeper Buckmaster was injured and had to clear a backpass into touch which again was quickly taken and converted by Acle.

Scole tried hard and Flint had a volley cleared from near the line before Scole made it 3-2 when Ashford drilled home after beating his man.

It was now game on, but Acle again scored when a good move culminated in a powerful diving header to make it 4-2. Cussons slipped Ashford throug, but the Acle linesman put his flag up.

Burden was now introduced and he did his cause no harm when he went close twice. Cussons' long-range piledriver was parried by the keeper who also saved Burden's rebound.

Acle did finally kill the game off when a cross came in that Scole had three chances to clear before the Acle centre forward buried under Buckmaster.

Scole kept plugging away and Cussons won a 50-50 with the Acle keeper before rolling it into an empty net to make the final score 5-3.

Man of the match: Cussons.