Downham turn on the second-half style in crucial win

Downham Town 5 Mulbarton Wanderers 1James Moore scored twice as Downham Town produced a remarkable second-half performance to stay in touch with the play-off places in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division.Third-placed Mulbarton Wanderers took a 1-0 lead into the break as the home side produced their worst 45 minutes of the season at the Memorial Field.But it was a completely different story after the interval as Downham responded in sensational style to score five times without reply against their high-flying visitors.Former Fakenham Town striker Ashley Jarvis headed the visitors in front following a controversial free-kick award and that’s how it stayed until the break.Within seven minutes of the restart, the home side were level.Fletcher Toll, who had been denied by a fine save two minutes after the restart, curled home a delightful free-kick.A few minutes later they had their noses in from as Eoin McQuaid played in Moore for his first of the aftermoon.Toll then turn provider, squaring the ball for McQuaid to hammer home into an empty net while Jake Miller flashed a header wide as the home side dominated the second half.Mulbarton were shell-shocked and things went from bad to worse as they conceded twice more in the dying minutes.Substitute Jacob White drilled home number four before McQuaid delivered a corner for Moore to score his second with a bullet header in stoppage time.Not only are the two sides slugging it out for a play-off spot, the battle for the Golden Boot is all about two players.Mulbarton’s Jarvis now has 27 for the season while Downham’s Toll is just one behind with 26 for the campaign.Downham have now scored nine times against Mulbarton in home league and cup matches this season.The win leaves them sixth in the table, a point adrift of Dereham Town in fifth and two of Mulbarton, who they still have to visit in the league, in fourth.On Tuesday night, they travel to Wroxham in the quarter-finals of the Norfolk Senior Cup.Downham Town: McAnally, Miller, Reed, Watts-Sturrock, Yates, Castellan, Visocanskis, Gould, McQuaid, Moore, Toll. Subs: Hutton, Franks, White, Bird.Elsewhere this afternoon, goals from Jay Myhill and Tanatswa Malenguka saw Fakenham Town defeat Ely City 2-0 at the Daly Group Stadium.In the First Division North, Swaffham Town shared the points in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Haverhill Rovers.