Scole United 3, Bungay Town 1THE Black Dogs' unbeaten away record in the Anglian Combination Division One this season came to an end in a disappointing display on Saturday as they went down 3-1 to a side they had already beaten comfortably at home.

Scole United 3, Bungay Town 1

THE Black Dogs' unbeaten away record in the Anglian Combination Division One this season came to an end in a disappointing display on Saturday as they went down 3-1 to a side they had already beaten comfortably at home.

Bungay had a larger share of the play but were unable to seriously trouble the home keeper, with most efforts on goal going high or wide - the home side's finishing, helped by gifts, was more clinical.

Without the injured Neil Renaut, but with Myles Clarke returning, Bungay started well against the slope and breeze and an early ball forward by Paul Hunter almost brought dividends. So it was against the run of play when the home side took a 10th minute lead. Black Dogs keeper Robert Long flapped at an awkward cross and with the defence out of position Simon Green prodded the ball into the empty net.

Hunter played in a free-kick for Bungay but Joe McFarlane, on the stretch, could not direct his header, and Scole had another chance soon afterwards as Green was left unmarked on the left but put his shot just over the angle of post and bar.

Neat work by Paul Bullen almost brought an opening as Bungay enjoyed a spell of prolonged pressure, but it was Scole who scored again, on 35 minutes, as an opportunist effort from Lee Ruddock flew into the top corner of the net from the edge of the area.

Bungay were good going forward but the final ball let them down, and their only effort of note was a low shot from McFarlane which went wide.

There was the feeling that with the wind and slope with them in the second half the Black Dogs were capable of pulling back the deficit, and within eight minutes they reduced the arrears.

Sean Payne, pushed up front, cut the ball back and Myles Clarke managed to lift the ball over the keeper under pressure from a defender for his fifth goal of the season.

It signalled sustained pressure, and Bullen netted, but the whistle had gone for a foul by Payne as he headed on a free-kick. Then a fine ball from Hunter found Payne on the left and his cross was just wide of the far post with no-one on hand to get a touch.

Hunter was even closer with a curling free-kick which was agonisingly wide of a post.

And once more Scole broke quickly, Bungay made a hash of the offside trap and Niall Baker took the ball on to slot it past Long into the bottom corner.

Before the end Payne put a header from Craig Hunting's cross over the top - and that just about summed up Bungay's afternoon.

Bungay: R Long, M Shipley, C Hunting, S Payne, S Whiteman, P Bullen (M Holmes), P Hunter, J Doughty (M King), D Lowe, M Clarke, J McFarlane.

Tomorrow Bungay visit Norwich St John's.