Mattishall safe after another home three-point win
Mattishall, pictured here in action against Hindringham, saw off Long Stratton 2-0 on Saturday. Picture: Ronnie Heyhoe - Credit: Archant
Both Mattishall and Long Stratton are going to survive and stay in the Premier Division of the Anglian Combination as the season is now in its final stages but it was the home side who took Saturday's three points.
The match was played in good spirits with the hosts almost going into the lead in the second minute when a good throw from the left by Macnab-Grieve found Huckle whose header rebounded off the bar into safety.
This was the only real action in front of goal by either side as most of the play was restricted to the midfield, with a few back passes to the goalkeepers.
On 35 minutes the visitors almost opened the scoring with a good shot from the left when the ball went inches wide of the upright to safety.
On the stroke of half-time Huckle soared into the visitors' defence, with a resultant bad tackle on that home player giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty kick which Huckle stepped up to score for the opening goal of the match and a 1-0 half-time lead.
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The second period got under way with the home team looking to consolidate their slender advantage and in the first five minutes Pascal almost achieved that with a good shot on goal which went narrowly wide of the mark.
However, 20 minutes into the second period Mattishall went down to 10 men as two yellows were shown for a sending off.
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Even so, Stratton could not make the extra man tell as they huffed and puffed going forward with no real gilt-edged chances to level the score.
The thorn in Stratton's side was Huckle who was causing their defence all sorts of problems, despite being Mattishall's only striker, in the final minutes of the match.
On the stroke of full time, substitute Oran Oliver made a superb run through the ranks of the Stratton defence, taking on at least three players and planting the ball wide of the visiting keeper into the bottom right-hand corner of his net.
It was a great goal which was fully appreciated by his team mates.
This weekend the first team are away to Kirkley & Pakefield Reserves with a kick-off at 2.30pm while the Reserves are at home to Watton United at 2.30pm.
