Bungay Town 0, Kirkley and Pakefield Reserves 1

A first half penalty was the difference between these two well matched sides in
Bungay’s first home game of the season last Wednesday evening.

The visitors fielded a strong side, but both sides had periods on top without extending either keeper.

Bungay had hoped to build on their opening day win at Stalham but found Kirkley a completely different proposition.

“The sides were evenly matched and we cancelled each other out,” was manager Travis Manning’s verdict at the end.

“I thought 0-0 would have been a fair result.

"It was disappointing to lose this early in the season.

"We were better in the second half, with our three changes making a difference.

"Everyone played well.”

Neither keeper was seriously tested at any stage.

Kirkley had the better of the opening period as two shots flew wide and another cleared the bar.

The deciding goal came in the 35th minute when Adam Bray was judged to have pushed a forward in the box and Kayden Goldspink comfortably converted the penalty.

Before the interval Jackson Williams drove a powerful 25-yard free-kick over the bar.

Bungay were better after the interval and Andre Martens got in a lofted shot that the keeper took comfortably, while Connor Doddington tested the keeper with a well struck shot.

The Black Dogs’ best chance of an equaliser came in the 73rd minute as Jackson Williams played a free-kick into the danger area but Martens could not get enough on his diving header to glance it in.

In the final five minutes Kirkley twice went close to closing the game out as a forward turned a low shot wide and another shot just cleared the angle of post and bar.

Team: B Ling, T Daniels, J Wightman, J Williams, A Bray, D MacDonald (S Allen), K Williams (J Child), C Doddington, A Shreeve (L Williams), A Martens, L Williams (C Rudkin).

Bungay’s scheduled game at home to Stalham on Saturday was postponed as Stalham could not raise a team.

This Saturday Bungay visit Bradenham Wanderers (2.30pm).