Ghosts complete league double over Downham Town

Fakenham Town 2 Downham Town 1Fakenham Town completed a league double over Downham Town to reignite their Thurlow Nunn Premier Division title challenge.Goals from Louis Henman Mason and substitute Lucas Densley gave a young Ghosts side a two-goal advantage before a late reply from Harley Murkin set up a tense last few minutes at the Daly Group Stadium.The win ended league leaders Downham Town’s eight-game unbeaten run as Fakenham, who still have a game in hand, narrowed the gap on their rivals to six points.A week after lining up for the Ghosts against Brantham Athletic, the name on Tyler Knowles found itself in the Downham line-up after the defender moved to his third club this season.Charlie Royle also featured against his former club for a Downham outfit missing defenders Luke Reed and Jake Miller as well as the influential Eoin McQuaid.Downham missed a glorious chance to take the lead early on as striker Dylan Edge’s shot was saved by the legs of home goalkeeper Luke Pearson in the opening exchanges. Fakenham’s Tana Malenguka was a thorn in the visitors’ side in the first half and his cross was somehow headed wide by debutant Rui McIntyre, who otherwise had an excellent game, with the goal at his mercy. A 20-yard piledriver from Jake Watts grazed the post midway through the half before Henman Mason’s long-range effort found a way past Harry Sutton in the 34th minute to give the Ghosts a deserved lead at the break.Downham’s Nick Castellan saw his show come back off the post soon after the restart before Sutton saved well to his left to deny Watts at the other end.Twelve minutes from time, Watts’ pass looked to have left Densley with too much to do, but the youngster’s determination saw him nip in to drill home Fakenham’s second goal past Sutton. The visitors’ Dylan Kirk saw an effort cannon back off the woodwork before the ball was eventually scrambled off the line.Royle was the next Downham player to hit the post, but substitute Harley Murkin was on hand to make sure the ball crossed the line as the visitors pulled a goal back with four minutes left on the clock. There were chances at both ends in a frantic final few minutes as Fakenham saw the game out for a big three points in front of their home fans.Downham Town still have a four-point buffer at the summit, although second-placed Brantham Athletic have three games in hand on Dale Stokes’ side, who have a run of crucial games on the horizon. Fakenham Town: Pearson, Rasberry, Keeley, Sturman, Wright, Coslett, Malenguka, Poore, Henman Mason, McIntyre. Subs: Henman, Middleton, Twose, Densley.Downham Town: Sutton, Knowles, Smith, Watts Sturrock, Gould, Matty Castellan, Kirk, Nick Castellan, Edge, White, Royle. Subs: Delgado, Visocanskis, Sivakumar, Murkin, White.Attendance: 298.Elsewhere this afternoon, Heacham were beaten 3-0 at Station Road by promotion-chasing Brantham Athletic.In the First Division North, Swaffham Town were thrashed 6-0 at Stanway Pegasus and a defeat next weekend could see the Pedlars relegated to the Anglian Combination.