Interim Ghosts boss praises youngsters after Downham win

Fakenham Town interim boss Neil Jarvis was full of praise for his young-guns after seeing them complete a league double over Downham Town.Goals from Louis Henman Mason and substitute Lucas Densley gave a youthful home outfit a two-goal advantage before Harley Murkin netted a late consolation for the visitors 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 Thurlow Nunn Premier Division rivals to six points.After seeing his players reignite their title challenge, Jarvis said: “I thought we just shaded it to be fair. They had a good opportunity to score early doors but once we got our nose in front, we played with a bit of calmness and played some decent stuff.”We scored a second and could have got a third and made it more comfortable, but then we got a little bit tired and lost Lewis Sturman as he’d played 90 minutes in a tough game on Tuesday against Mulbarton.”When you take an experienced and influential player off and replace them with 16 and 17-year-olds, that’s where we’re at, but to a man I thought we were first class.”We knew they would come back at us as the front three are lively. Dylan Edge is like a Step 4 player with a load of experience. “We’ve got a centre-half aged 16 and two others who were 18 and 19, so you knew they were going to get some half chances here. “We made it difficult towards the end when we gave a goal away. With the youth of the squad we had out today, we would have taken the point all day long, but I know we need to win games at this stage of the season. “When you look at it we’re such a young squad and if we lose one or two senior players another youngster is filling in, but they’re quality and they are the future of this club.”Opposing boss Dale Stokes said: “I thought the first half was just a pretty poor game of football in general to be honest.”It was scrappy and we let them get the ball into any dangerous areas. I thought we just looked off the pace in too many positions today. “When we did get forward and get into the right areas, we caused problems and should have opened the scoring within five minutes and still inside the one.”Dylan’s disappointed because he should have put that away, and then there’s a pretty different game. “I think the first half was really poor to the point that I don’t remember anything much about it other than the goal.”Their second goal has come against the run of play with us trying to get back into the game. We’ve conceded two poor goals. “It was kind of like the game at our place where Fakenham were the better side for parts of the first half and scored from a goal that should have been saved, and then in the second half we’ve been on top for most of the half but they’ve scored from nothing.”We’ve hit the post, hit the bar and had one off the line and we gambled by going with four up front.”It’s frustrating for us as we’ve been on such a good run and I’m not one for excuses, but when you’ve got to change both full-backs it’s difficult as we’ve had such a consistent side recently.”To have Reedy (Luke Reed), Miller (Jake Miller) and Eoin (McQuaid) missing it changed the whole dynamic of our team.”Fakenham are back in home action on Saturday when they host Lakenheath.Downham travel to Stowmarket while Heacham are on the road at Kirkley and Pakefield.