Hadleigh United overcame a potential banana skin in Saturday's Ridgeons League division one match at the Millfield.
Hadleigh United overcame a potential banana skin in Saturday's Ridgeons League division one match at the Millfield.
Lowly Swaffham came with only one win under their belts to meet a home side which has had its share of injuries in recent weeks.
Matt Paisley was between the posts after a gap of seven seasons, while young Whitton defender Daniel Wade was on debut for Steve Jay's side.
Hadleigh began brightly with a goal after three minutes as Dean Tournay-Godfrey rifled home a powerful low shot from the right-hand side.
Swaffham then hit back, with a header from Richard Cornwall being safely gathered under the bar by Paisley.
Play was soon at the other end with Craig Payne forcing keeper Lee Brooks to turn a hard shot round the post. However, Hadleigh were rocked in the 16th minute when Swaffham equalised.
Paisley, at full stretch in a crowded goalmouth, brought down Keith Polski, and the resultant penalty kick was converted by Andy Hunter, the keeper getting his hands to the kick but just failing to keep it out.
Payne had a shot charged down and Jake Kingston headed over the bar while Paisley gathered a free kick from Sam Darlow.
Swaffham had held their own in the first half, and after 49 minutes Hunter was wide with a diving header as the Norfolk side pressed.
Hadleigh regained the lead after 55 minutes as Danny George broke clear before beating Brooks inside the keeper's near post.
Brooks then pushed away a hard shot from Chris Dennett as Hadleigh began to gain the upper hand of an entertaining game.
After 84 minutes George made a splendid run through the Swaffham defence before setting up leading scorer Payne to fire in the third goal.
Then a cross from Chris Sadler was headed over the bar from a good position by Kingston.
Hadleigh Utd: Paisley; Wade, Oakes, Leys, Knott, Porter, Tournay-Godfrey (Sadler 86), George (Skeggs 85), Payne, Kingston, Dennett (Cowan 76).
l Hadleigh Reserves also had a good day with a cracking 7-0 win at Cornard. They never looked back once Aston Leathers and Jason Curtis had hit the target in the opening eight minutes.
Further well-worked goals by Chris Wall and Curtis made it four at the interval while one own goal made it five after 50 minutes. Curtis headed number six on the hour while Wall got the seventh in the last minute.
The full article contains 427 words and appears in Suffolk Free Press newspaper.