HADLEIGH UNITED 2 HAVERHILL ROVERS 0

Haverhill will wonder how they came away from Hadleigh without anything from the game, two wonder strikes from their opponents condemning them to defeat after they couldn’t find the net with chances themselves.

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THURLOW NUNN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

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Home manager Stuart Alston’s last game before stepping down to become head of youth development at the club started with a strike by Kyron Andrews putting them ahead after 14 minutes, his placed effort 12 yards out and left of goal, after he was given space, curling into the far side netting, leaving goalkeeper Charlie Turner just an observer.

The away side had chances to level the scores, Jordan Palmer’s header after Marc Abbott’s free kick on the left wing not connecting enough and going wide of the right hand post, Rory Jebb having a great chance after Palmer flicked on Turner’s free kick but his volley was sliced over the bar and Jebb again going close, but he seemed not to expect to connect with an Abbott corner as he leapt and the ball came off the back of his head and went wide of the mark.

Four minutes after the break Haverhill’s day got worse as Sam Sharp doubled his side’s advantage, Sharp being held up by defender Owen Boddey but he touched the ball inside to his left and, from 20 yards out and just right of goal, he bent his effort in off the foot of the left post and into the right side netting just past the fingertips of Turner.

The away side changed to a 4-3-3 formation shortly afterwards and they began to control long periods of the half, Abbott striking the foot of the near right post as his 25 yard effort came down and had beaten ‘keeper Sam Mansfield on 55 minutes and, three minutes later, Cameron Watson’s direct ball left defender Damon Artiss floundering as he tried to head the ball back to Mansfield, but Palmer’s 8 yard awkward shot went across goal and wide of the mark.

Luke Haines’ low 25 yard free kick went wide of the near right post with a quarter of an hour to go, a god move ending with Jonathan Milne teeing the ball right to Haines ten yards out after 87 minutes, but Mansfield came out to block his effort and put the ball behind for a corner.

ROVERS : Turner, Watson, Halls, Milne, Holmes, Boddey (Geoghegan, 53), Haines, Abbott, Jebb, Palmer (Camfield, 80), Burr (Micklewight, 88).
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Steven Esdale