Loddon 1, Spixworth 0

RICHARD Durrant popped up for the second week running to volley Loddon to victory in the dying minutes of a tough encounter.

After the heights of the last two victories against Blofield, on a difficult, wet pitch this was never going to be a spectacle and a draw would have been a fair result.

But Loddon now have a never-say-die attitude and a self-belief that was missing before Christmas when these games would have been lost.

Loddon had an early scare when Stebbings had to palm away an in-swinging Spixworth corner. A Squire cross was cut out and Greenhalf covered brilliantly to save blushes after a rare error.

A lovely move from Loddon, started by Greenhalf and Parkin saw Robin Andersen up-ended and the referee brought play back to award a free-kick after the advantage had been lost. The kick came to nothing. Parkin fired wide. A Summons free-kick to the far post was dropped by the keeper, and after a bit of head-tennis Baylis was unsuccessful with an overhead kick attempt. Hancock almost broke the deadlock but handled before firing over.

Defenders were generally on top. Loddon tried to play their passing game but conditions and poor final balls did not help. Greenhalf stopped a dangerous overlap on the right and Marjoribanks rose well to head clear a free-kick. Stebbings palmed over the follow-up.

Composed defending by Durrant and Baylis stifled any threat before the break.

On 49 minutes a cross was tipped over by Stebbings. The corner was knocked back in and Hancock, trying to volley clear, knocked it straight into his keeper’s arms with Spixworth claiming a back-pass.

The immediate throw-out was received by Dan Andersen who exchanged with Summons, galloped down the right and sent in a cross which neither Marjoribanks nor Greenhalf could quite reach.

A great cross by Greenhalf was headed wide by Summons. The highest clearance of the day was controlled in one touch by the outstanding Durrant, Spixworth hit a fierce shot over the bar and a Dan Andersen cross curled away from Greenhalf.

On the hour a visiting striker finally got through Loddon’s back line, but Durrant again made a superbly-timed tackle.

The game suddenly livened up in the last five minutes. A Hancock throw was headed on by Marjoribanks. Parkin and Summons were both involved in the following six-yard box scramble with the keeper, but Spixworth cleared.

On 88 minutes, Sadler won a free-kick on the left. Robin Andersen curled it to the far post and Durrant peeled away to make space and hit the sweetest volley into the top corner of the net.

Loddon defended a couple of corners, Stebbings covered a very difficult bouncing shot at the second attempt, and Loddon bagged another three points.

Not a great game. Parkin and Greenhalf again performed well, but man Durrant was awesome and was the Musker McIntyre man of the match.

Loddon: Stebbings, Hancock, Baylis, Durrant, Andersen R, Andersen D, Summons G, Parkin M, Greenhalf, Marjoribanks, Squire. Subs: Sadler, Andersen C, Collins.