Tangerines return to winning ways

DISS Town returned to winning ways when they beat bottom-of-the-table Fakenham Town 3-0 at Brewers Green Lane. They should have won by a much greater margin but many fine chances were missed.

DISS Town returned to winning ways when they beat bottom-of-the-table Fakenham Town 3-0 at Brewers Green Lane. They should have won by a much greater margin but many fine chances were missed.

As early as the third minute, Luke Catchpole had a shot cleared off the line by Kevin Whittred. The Ghosts quickly replied and Matty Hill was forced to make his one save of the game as he dived to his left to push away a shot from Mark Critten.

It took the Tangerines until the 32nd minute to create a fine chance from their possession. Steve Wright headed down a centre from Catchpole, but Danny Jones shot over from eight yards out.

A combination of Daniel Stockdale and Jason Cole blocked Wright at close range as he moved on to a 38th minute Ben Soanes header to a right-wing centre by Mark Shadrack. From the resulting corner Wright headed over from an Ed Cussons cross. Just as it looked as though the hardy souls who braved the biting cold wind would do so without a first-half goal, the Tangerines were rewarded for their patience in the 43rd minute.

Wright sent the ball over from the right for Catchpole to head back at the far post and Andy Moody scored his fifth goal of the season with a right-foot shot from three yards out. Karl Pask was only just high with a 25-yard shot soon after the kick-off.

Diss pressed strongly for a further goal early in the second half and Cole was forced to clear a deflected Moody shot off the line. The second Diss goal finally arrived in the 59th minute, when Danny Partridge scored just seconds after being denied in two similar moves. In the first, he shot wide after running on to a Soanes header.

In the next attack, Jones played a perfect through-ball for Partridge to run some 15 yards before shooting past Stockdale from 15 yards out for his 12th goal of the season. In the 64th minute, Best headed high from just two yards out to a curling free-kick from Cussons.

A minute later Catchpole moved into the penalty area and crossed low for Soanes to shoot in from seven yards out for his third goal of the season. Diss were now passing the ball with confidence, and in the 68th minute Stockdale made a good save to deny Catchpole as he moved into the penalty area following a move down the left. In added time Hill hit a long clearance for Ben Deacon to run on to and bring a save from Stockdale.

Man of the match: Danny Jones.