Outgoing Dereham Town chairman Simon Barnes has paid tribute to Craig Bussens after he suffered a broken ankle in the club's 3-1 defeat to rivals Wroxham, writes Ed Colman.

The 24-year-old broke his ankle in two places at Trafford Park and will now miss the Aldiss Park outfit's trip to Carrow Road in May for the final of the Norfolk Senior Cup. Barnes praised the midfielder, who is one of the Magpies' longest serving players, and said that Dereham will do everything they can to support him on his road to recovery.

Barnes said: 'While the result was disappointing it seems insignificant after the injury suffered by Craig Bussens.

'Craig has been a really important part of the club over recent years, and I honestly believe that this season he has been one of our most consistent and impressive players.

'He is a great lad to have at the club and I think the response of our supporters and other players on Twitter shows just how important he is to everyone here.

'It's going to be a long recovery for Bussey, up to 16 weeks, and he will be sadly missed during that time.'

Magpies defender Jay Eastoe-Smith also suffered a knee injury while playing against Diss in the recent Senior Cup semi-final and Barnes also wished him well.

'Jay has been a great servant to the club and his love for his hometown club is clear for all to see,' Barnes added.

'Both players have played a vital part in our success over recent seasons and we are holding a race night for them on Saturday April 11, following our home match with Brentwood, and it would be great to see as many people as possible to help support these two great lads.'

On the other hand, striker Luke Tuttle returned from injury in style on Tuesday night as his two strikes set the Magpies on their way to a 2-1 victory over Waltham Abbey – their first league win in just under a month.

Dereham, sixth, and now three points outside of the play-off positions, host the top scorers and second-placed team in Ryman North, Harlow Town, on Saturday.