Dereham Town, flushed with the success of their best-of-seven-goals win at Stanway last weekend, travel to a Walsham-le-Willows outfit on Saturday who are three places and seven points below the second-place Magpies in the Ridgeons Premier.

Dereham Town, flushed with the success of their best-of-seven-goals win at Stanway last weekend, travel to a Walsham-le-Willows outfit on Saturday who are three places and seven points below the second-place Magpies in the Ridgeons Premier.

With Lowestoft's match at Norwich United postponed, Dereham closed to within six points of pace-setters the Blues, although the Suffolk side have three games in hand.

Fourth-placed Leiston are in danger of a fixture pile-up. Their postponement at Mildenhall means they have played only 13 games (Dereham 21, Lowestoft 18), which have yielded 34 points to Lowestoft's 45 and Dereham's 39.

Third-placed Kirkley & Pakefield, who beat Walsham-le-Willows on Saturday, are third with 37 points from 19 games.

Stanway Rovers 3, Dereham 4

A late Paul Atkins penalty gave Dereham a remarkable win at Stanway. Matty Henman's Magpies saw a three-goal lead just after half-time whittled away before Atkins' 88th minute decider from the spot.

On the sodden surface the Essex side won two early corners that Higgs punched to safety, writes Rene Kendal.

Danny Beaumont then won the Magpies a flag-kick on the right with keeper Church claiming Terrington's curling centre. In the seventh minute Atkins turned sharply in the box before firing wide following good play on the right by midfielder Smith.

Dereham soon settled into their normal stylish passing game and threatened twice with Buhlemann heading Terrington's free-kick across goal which the home side were happy to thump clear before a superb Terrington cross from the left sped just past the lunging Beaumont.

The Magpies soon took the lead when Furlong progressed into the box and found Atkins to his left, the striker's low drive striking the base of the left hand post, but Nicky Howell was on hand to net on the goal-line in the 23rd minute.

Stanway replied with Callender's deflected shot going over the bar. From the corner Sharpe headed over the top. The home side had to deal with another pacy Terrington delivery with Beaumont having a shot charged down. Stanway midfielder Harrup was orchestrating most of the home side's moves but keeper Higgs remained untroubled.

Dereham were denied a penalty in the 37th minute when Atkins appeared to be upended just before he pulled the trigger from 12 yards.

Town deserved to increase their lead and in the 40th minute Terrington fed the overlapping Furlong, who crossed towards Howell. The ball fell to the feet of striker Beaumont who slammed the ball home from close range.

Stanway needed to up their game in the second half but Dereham scored direct from the restart with Beaumont's cross from the left reaching Howell. He guided the ball inside to Atkins who drilled home from 14 yards.

The Essex side pulled a goal back in the 65th minute. Kirby guided Harrup's flag-kick towards Nathan Sharpe who prodded the ball home from close range. Stanway scored again in the 73rd minute. Ben Newsom lifted the ball over Higgs after being released in the box. His effort was going wide but Jermaine Harewood raced in to thump the loose ball home.

Home keeper Church was forced into an acrobatic save to keep out Beaumont's 20-yard curler but Rovers equalised following woefully weak defending by Dereham. Sam Newsom was left completely unmarked, allowing him plenty of space and time to pick out twin brother Ben Newsom, who side-footed home from two yards.

In the 88th minute Stanway's Drennan upended substitute Bacon in the box for a spot kick and in-form striker Atkins coolly sent Church the wrong way from the spot.

Dereham Town: J Higgs, O Willis, B Furlong, D Buhlemann, J Eastoe-Smith, D Beaumont, N Howell, A Smith, P Atkins, G Barrett, T Terrington. Subs: S Garner, C Bacon, S Willis, N Simmons.