Ghosts knocked off top spot after home defeat

Fakenham Town manager Alex Walpole had few complaints after seeing his side knocked off top spot in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division this afternoon.The Ghosts suffered only their fourth defeat of the league campaign with a 2-1 home loss to Woodbridge Town.Liam Ablitt fired the visitors in front at the Daly Group Stadium with a cracking effort from 30 yards out before Louis Henman-Mason levelled matters with a delightful free-kick.A clinical finish saw the Suffolk outfit regain their lead before Fakenham were reduced to ten men for the final 25 minutes after Henman-Mason picked up his second booking of the game.”We just weren’t at it,” admitted Walpole after the game.”Everyone can beat everyone this year and we’ve seen it as some of the results today across the league and since the start of the season, so it is one of them.”You have to be at it every game, that’s the bare minimum. If you’re at it then you stand a chance. If you’re not, then you don’t. “Their two finishes were incredible, but again you can always prevent every goal as Neil (Jarvis) would say, and again we can look at how we got to that point but still two incredible finishes. “Louis scored a free kick for us today as well, which brought got us back to 1-1, but it’s the way it goes. Sometimes you’ve got to be clinical and today we weren’t.”I think we do play quite expansive and I think sometimes that’s our Achilles heel. We’re almost like Blackpool all those years ago in the Premier League, we just try and rely on scoring more goals than the opposition.”A lot of the times it works and a lot of times it doesn’t and it’s something we’re aware of and It’s something we’re trying to work on, but it’s it’s hard to replicate those game situations and I think we missed Josh Young’s today. “He should be available again next week. “He’s a leader, he’s a voice, he’s experienced and our back three have been really good for us this year.”I think Jayden (Wright) and Charlie (Mayhew) are only 21 or 22 but they’ve had a really good season, to be fair. “Sometimes they lack that experience and are a bit naive and they need Josh around them.”The Ghosts have never been short of good, young players with two already joining higher-league clubs this season and fans got a brief glimpse of another exciting talent in Lucas Densley. Walpole said: “Lucas Densley is 16 years old and he deserves a mention because when he came on for the last kind of 15 minutes he was our best player.”Two times he’s picked the ball in our half and driven maybe 30-40 yards with it and it’s given Neil (Jarvis), Stephen (Harvey) when he’s back from holiday and myself something to think about in terms of where he fits into the squad.”If he’s going to have that impact for 15 minutes, then what can you do from the start? I thought he was the one bright positive. note for us today.”On Wednesday night, Walpole will be looking for his side to bounce back when they travel to Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers in the Norfolk Senior Cup. Fakenham Town: Pearson, Keeley, Bonner (Twose 77), Sturman (Densley 77), Mayhew, Wrigh, Coslett (Rasberry 77), Crostwaite, Watts, Henman-Mason, Middleton (Malenguka 63)Elsewhere in the Premier Division today, Downham Town were sunk by an injury-time goal during a 3-2 defeat in an enthralling top-of-the-table clash at Thetford Town.Town twice came from behind to level through Valter Da Rocha and substitute Marley Delgardo before the hosts took the three points with a 98th-minute winner.Downham dropped a place to sixth in the table as a result of the loss but still have several games in hand on the side’s above them in the table. On Wednesday night, Downham Town are back in action at FC Peterborough in the League Challenge Cup.Heacham were beaten 6-1 by Yarmouth Town during their trip to the coast.Toby Hilliard fired the Magpies into the lead from close range, but the Bloaters responded by taking a 2-1 lead into the break.It was one-way traffic in the second half as Yarmouth scored four more times without reply.In the First Division North, Harry Cupitt was on target for Swaffham Town as they shared the points against Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers in a 1-1 draw at the Uncle Lukes Stadium.