Sole Bay (Southwold) 1, Bungay Town 1BUNGAY opened their Anglian Combination Division One programme with a 1-1 draw at breezy Southwold common on Tuesday evening.

Sole Bay (Southwold) 1, Bungay Town 1

BUNGAY opened their Anglian Combination Division One programme with a 1-1 draw at breezy Southwold common on Tuesday evening.

Conditions made good football difficult, and after the home side had cancelled out Bungay's opening goal both sides had chances to win the match - Mike Derbyshire's first competitive game in charge. But a draw was just about a fair result, writes Terry Reeve.

The home side had the first shot but it was straight at Robert Long. In the third minute Sole Bay lost a defender through injury.

For Bungay, Matt King played in an early ball for Paul Bullen and he hit a fine shot on the turn which the keeper leapt to turn round the post. Then the keeper did well to get a hand to a close-range header from Justin Doughty to turn it over the bar.

Sole Bay had a good chance at the end of a swift counter-attack which saw a forward fire over from 12 yards, and for Bungay Paul Hunter drove an effort narrowly over.

The Black Dogs took the lead in the 35th minute when Hunter's free-kick was nodded down by Shaun Payne, and as it fell loose Miles Clarke drove it home form six yards.

But Sole Bay equalised right on half-time as Payne conceded the ball when he could have cleared and Russ Palmer took it on to score from a narrow angle.

Early in the second half Payne got up well to Clarke's corner but a defender cleared off the line with the keeper beaten. Later a fine end-to-end move by Bungay saw Long feed King down the right, who in turn found Renaut with a great cross field pass. Renaut set up Clarke for a chance which was just the wrong side of the far post.

Near the end Long made a fine diving save to prevent Palmer winning it for the home side and then did even better to turn away a goal bound effort form the same player.

Team: R Long, M Shipley, C Hunting, S Payne, S Wightman, M King, P Hunter, N Renaut, J Doughty (D Higgins), M Clarke, P Bullen.

Bungay have no game tomorrow. Their first home game is on Tuesday against Long Stratton, kick off 7.30pm and next Friday they entertain Wymondham Town, kick off 7.30pm.