Harleston Town 3, Easton 0HARLESTON bounced back from the previous Saturday's disappointing home defeat to earn a hard-fought victory, despite missing six first team regulars.

Harleston Town 3, Easton 0

HARLESTON bounced back from the previous Saturday's disappointing home defeat to earn a hard-fought victory, despite missing six first team regulars.

Harleston got off to the worst possible start when young centre-back Jamie Sheehan, making only his second start for the first team this season, picked up a nasty looking ankle injury minutes into the game and could not continue.

Town were forced to reshuffle, with David Norman switching from attack to centre-half and Matthew Goreham coming on from the bench to lead the attack.

Despite the changes, Harleston started the match well and were on the front foot, with Kieran Passey looking lively and going close, before Bram Goodwin Wright and Fionn Goodwin Wright both had half-chances. Matty Goreham headed narrowly wide from an Imrie corner, before pulling up injured on the 15 minute mark, which forced the substitute to be substituted, with Craig Trudgill coming on to take his place.

Harleston continued to dominate the first half and looked dangerous with every attack, but despite Town's dominance, the score remained 0-0 at the interval.

Harleston started the second half on the front foot once more, the impressive Passey up front causing problems with his work rate and David Norman marshalling the unfamiliar back four superbly. Craig Trudgill went close for Harleston, but his far-post shot was saved excellently by the visitors' keeper.

Town got the deserved breakthrough on 55 minutes when clever play by James Trudgill made room for a shot which he buried into the bottom corner. Town were now attacking at will and playing some good football and soon doubled their lead when Fionn Goodwin Wright latched on to a through ball and kept his nerve to finish at the second attempt.

Fionn Goodwin Wright saved the best till last, when he latched onto a Craig Trudgill through ball before despatching an audacious lob over the stranded Easton keeper.

Harleston continued to dominate the game creating chances through some good football and excellent work rate but were unable to add anymore goals to their tally.

MoM: David Norman - An excellent display at the unfamiliar centre half position from the striker who marshalled an unfamiliar defence superbly.

Harleston Town2, Martham 3

HARLESTON crashed to their second home defeat in the space of a week when they produced a second-half horror show to go down 3-2 against Martham.

Harleston made the worst possible start to the game when they went a goal down after just five minutes, the Martham winger finding time and space to cross from the left to the feet of the Martham forward, who smashed home from just inside the box to give the visitors the lead.

This early setback seemed to kick Harleston into gear and they began to play some good football, with Kieran Passey and Goodwin Wright going close, and Dan Burrett causing the Martham defence problems with his overlapping runs from full-back.

Harleston got a deserved equaliser halfway through the first half, when James Trudgill's corner was met by Paul Bliss, who headed in to level the scores.

Harleston continued to dominate possession and soon found themselves in front when Paul Bliss headed home his and Town's second of the game. Despite the best efforts of the visitors' keeper to keep the ball out, the referee deemed the ball to have crossed the line and the goal was given.

The second half started with Martham applying some early pressure to the Harleston goal as they began to force themselves back into the game.

Harleston were now struggling to find any rhythm, as they squandered possession cheaply and began to drop deeper.

With 20 minutes left to play, the visitors equalised with a free header from a corner. Harleston began searching for the winner, but were looking to go long too quickly and forcing the issue. Martham were still looking dangerous themselves, with Harleston struggling to defend the ball over the top. James Trudgill tried his luck from distance, which was saved late by the keeper when it looked destined to go in.

Trudgill was again denied by the keeper when through on goal with minutes remaining. With the game looking to be heading for a draw, Harleston were caught once more by a ball over the top, which the Martham striker finished well to earn them the points, as Harleston's recent habit of conceding late goals struck again.