RIDGEONS PREMIER DIVISION Newmarket Town 1 Soham Town Rangers 5 SOHAM produced a five-star performance to claim their fourth win in a row. Soham have moved up to seventh place and face two crunch games over the next eight days, both against second-placed

RIDGEONS PREMIER DIVISION

Newmarket Town 1

Soham Town Rangers 5

SOHAM produced a five-star performance to claim their fourth win in a row.

Soham have moved up to seventh place and face two crunch games over the next eight days, both against second-placed Needham Market.

Saturday's tussle at Julius Martin Lane will provide a good indication of how far Ian Benjamin's side has come, but if Tuesday night's game is anything to go by, there is no reason why positive progress cannot continue.

Andy Furnell latched on to Paul Hill's knock-down from an Aron Rutter corner to put the Greens ahead after 20 minutes, but the Jockeys equalised soon after.

Furnell got his second after good work from Michael Simpson and Matt Robinson after 35 minutes, with Benjamin calling the strike "as good as any goal we've scored this season".

Robinson scored a delightful third goal, curling a 30-yard free-kick into the bottom corner, which helped to effectively kill off the game.

Simpson added the fourth after 84 minutes and Tom Benjamin ran through to make it five three minutes from time.

Even though they are in the midst of an FA Vase appeal over Welwyn Garden City's alleged use of an unregistered player during their fourth round match, Newmarket should surely have put up more of a fight than this.

"Newmarket possibly had their minds on other things but take nothing away from us, we played very well," said Benjamin.

"Not many teams go there and win 5-1. Now we've got two tough games against Needham Market but I hope we can take the confidence from this game into those matches."

Midfielder Peter Hinde returns to the squad after recovering from a groin injury.

n Soham's win on Tuesday night was their second in three days. On Saturday, they defeated Clacton Town 1-0 thanks to a goal from Aron Rutter, his first of the season.

RIDGEONS PREMIER DIVISION

Kirkley 1 Mildenhall Town 1

MILDENHALL were robbed of all three points after Kirkley grabbed a last-ditch equaliser.

Gareth Simpson gave 'Hall the lead after 16 minutes following a fine through ball from Andy Hart, but Kirkley grabbed a share of the spoils when they equalised with a free-kick deep into injury time.

There was still time for Tom Hobbs to miss a chance to win the game for Mildenhall, and the match also marked the debut of striker Daniel Herron, a Mansfield Town scholar on loan at Mildenhall.

Herron showed some classy touches and is also available for the FA Vase competition, which sees 'Hall travel to Spartan South Midlands League side Hillingdon Borough on February 11 for a last-16 clash.

Assistant manager Ricky Cornish said of Saturday's game: "It was a bit disappointing, to be honest. They didn't cause us any problems until they scored.

"It was very hard to play football - the pitch was rock-solid and it was very windy. But it was the same for both sides."

'Hall must turn their attention to the visit of basement boys Clacton Town on Saturday and Cornish warned his team against complacency.

"You must never count your chickens before they're hatched," he said. "We don't want to be the first team to be beaten by Clacton."

Strikers Owen Paynter and Neal Docking should both be in the squad for that game after recovering from injury.