Three goals in the last fourteen minutes saw Soham come from behind to beat Aveley 3-1 and earn the Greens’ new management team of Robbie Nightingale and David Theobald their first win.

Having gained a point away to unbeaten Bury Town during the week, the Greens named an unchanged side for the visit of Aveley, with the only change being James McCabe coming back onto the bench.

The game started at a quick pace as Ben Sawyer put wide from an early Pat Bexfield freekick before being played in at the edge of the area only to place low at James Marrable in the Aveley goal. The play quickly switched to the other end as George Lawton came out to deny Aveley’s Michael Ogbain with his feet whilst Abs Seymour fired over with an angled shot.

The hosts continued to press forward and create opportunities as Simon Swinton and Salim Relizani fired wide with the latter also placing a shot across goal and wide. It was the visitors that actually came closest to opening the scoring on the half hour but a well-placed Josh Townshend cleared Junior Baker’s header away at the back post following a corner.

Shortly after, Marrable made a low save to keep out Ryan Sharman with the midfielder also having another effort wide before the visitors were awarded a penalty on the stroke of half time when Will Lawton was adjudged to have brought down Seymour inside the area, with Arian Retkoceri converting the resultant spot kick, sending the keeper the wrong way.

The second half started with Soham bringing on Marcus Hall for the injured George Darling.

Clear chances were limited in the early stages as Relizani delivered a ball across the face of goal which Sawyer failed to connect with while George Lawton gathered an attempted lob from James Peagram, with the keeper also pushing away a shot from the away side’s Paul Preston.

Soham continued to attack the visitors goal netted a deserved equaliser in the 76th minute when Sawyer made his way down the right to deliver a ball into the area which Simon Swinton turned to volley low into the corner for his first goal for the club.

Sawyer was again involved with the next attack, playing the ball through to Relizani, but after taking it past a defender was denied as Marrable came out to block.

The Greens then took the lead in the 81st minute when Smith worked hard to keep the ball in play on the left by-line to square it into the middle of goal for Ryan Sharman, who after taking a touch, placed low into the net.

The midfielder then headed at the keeper from a Townshend throw before Soham made sure of the points as the game entered stoppage time when Relizani held his run to play in Ben Sawyer, who ran onto the throughball to score Soham’s third goal.

The win was Robbie Nightingale’s and Dave Theobald’s first since taking over in the previous week, much to their delight.

Theobald said: “We’ve put a lot of hard work in so it’s great to get a win for myself and for Robbie.”

Soham’s first league win in almost a month moved them up to 19th in the league table, and joint-manager David Theobald says his side will continue to play attacking football against high-flying Thurrock tomorrow night.

He said: “We’ll be more tactical against Thurrock but we’re not going to change our game too much. They’re coming into our back yard so we’re going to put it to them.”

Other Ely sides were also in action over the weekend; Burwell Swifts’ excellent run of form shows no sign of faltering in Kershaw Senior B as they secured another emphatic win; this time a 7-1 victory over Hardwick Reserves.

Josef De Pfeiffer turned in an excellent performance, netting four goals, with Luke Hammett bagging two and Lee Read rounding off the scoring. Burwell have now netted an impressive 36 goals in nine games.

In NMC 2B, Soham United Reserves edged Blutinsham Rangers Reserves 2-1 to move to fourth in the league.

In the Cambs Creake Shield, Fordham won through to the next round of the County Creake Shield competition following a 5-1 win after a convincing first half display.

Graham Ford put Fordham ahead after 10 minutes and Richard Kent made it 2 -0 five minutes later.

Ford made it 3-0 on the hour from Reece Peacock’s corner and the same player completed his Hat Trick before the break.

Mepal pulled a goal back in the second half but Mitch Booth set up Richard Kent for his second of the match and Fordham’s fifth.

Ely Crusaders were also in Creake Shield action, but bowed out of the competition after suffering a 3-1 loss to Wisbech St Mary Reserves.

Little Downham Swifts needed extra time to progress against Thaxted Rangers after the score was tied 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Nathan Cox and William Crisp netting for Downham.

Isleham United were less fortunate, however, and exited the competition following a 2-1 loss to Exning United.

In NMC 4B Fordham Reserves put five past Coldham United. Paul Wallis claimed a hattrick, and Olly Henderson and Callum Mills were the hosts’ other marksmen.

Elsewhere in the 4B, Isleham Warriors dropped their first points of the season as they drew 2-2 with Witchford 96 Reserves.

In NMC 5B, Guyhirn are unmoved at the top of the league after they beat Chatteris Town B 5-2, and Burwell Tigers were in top goal-scoring form as they annihilated Barton Mills 12-0, with a hat-trick from Ben Reed.