Downham regain top spot and Fakenham go third with wins

Downham Town are in pole position in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division title race while Fakenham Town remain hot on their heels after both sides recorded wins this afternoon.An early goal from Dylan Kirk was enough to see Downham regain top spot in the table after previous leaders Brantham Athletic suffered a 1-0 defeat at Dereham Town.Charlie Royle cut the ball back across the goal, and Kirk fired a great strike into the top right corner for the only goal of the game after 12 minutes.Downham head the standings by a point from Brantham and are four points clear of Fakenham Town in third after the Ghosts – still with a game in hand – won 5-1 at home to Kirkley and Pakefield.Fakenham ran riot in the first half and led 5-0 at the break as frontman Jake Watts broke the club’s scoring record at Step 5.Watts struck a first-half hat-trick to finally beat former King’s Lynn manager Gary Setchell’s tally of 36 league goals (49 in total), which was set back in 1997/1998.The frontman has found the back of the net 37 times this season as the Ghosts, who travel to Stowmarket Town on Tuesday night, remain firmly in the promotion picture. Today’s treble leaves Watts favourite to pick up the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division Golden Boot award at the end of the season, with him currently three clear of former Ghosts striker Ashley Jarvis in second spot. Heacham were without a game this afternoon but return to action with a trip to Walsham Le Willowson Tuesday night.In the Thurlow Nunn First Division North, already-relegated Swaffham Town were beaten 2-1 by Parson Drove who made it five games unbeaten.Drove, who stay ninth, scored in each half through Jack Kent’s ninth of the season and Modou Gaye, with The Pedlars hitting back with a late penalty.