Ely City 2-1 Gorleston Thurlow Nunn Premier Division The Unwin Ground, Ely Attendance: 64 Ely City managed to pull off a huge upset last weekend as they secured all three points and handed Gorleston just their third loss all season at the Unwin Ground.

The home side took the lead early on through Ashley Walter’s headed effort and striker Sam Reed grabbed his second goal for the club in the 75th minute.

A late consolation goal saw Gorleston’s Joel Watts poke the ball past Ely’s debutant goalkeeper Finley Iron, who took the place of the suspended Harry Williams, but with only a minute from time remaining it wasn’t enough for the visitors to secure a point on their travels.

Unlike their previous home games of late, Ely not only came racing out the blocks, but also did a great job of maintaining possession and keeping the ball on the ground. After testing Gorleston goalkeeper Taureen Molloy twice in the first five minutes, Ely took the lead just nine minutes in.

A poor corner from George Darling came straight back out to the midfielder, this time he whipped a much better ball in towards the front post.

The tall figure of Ashley Walter managed to get beyond his man and head the ball down into the ground towards goal. The ball took a huge unexpected bounce, and Molloy could only palm the ball in mid-air as it looped up above the goalkeeper and into the net.

The Robins almost doubled their lead just two minutes later, as centre back Tom Williams rose up high to meet Jamie Alsop’s lofted ball in, however his headed effort went just wide of the far post.

Gorleston had their only good chance of the first half when top goal scorer in the Thurlow Nunn league this season Connor Ingram sent a corner deep towards the back post. Although back pedalling, captain Peter Oldham did manage to get a good header towards goal, which saw the ball crash off the Ely crossbar.

After the break the game saw yet another headed chance; this time it was Ely’s Nathan Littlefair who somehow didn’t convert.

Another picture-perfect ball in from the left-back Alsop saw goalkeeper Molloy caught off his line, however Littlefair could only jump high enough to head the ball way over the crossbar.

Gorleston came close to equalizing shortly after through Jacob Short’s header. Another well-taken corner by Ingram was met by Short who forced a brilliant reaction save from the Ely goalkeeper Iron. It just wasn’t looking like the away side’s day at all.

Things got worse for the visitors fifteen minutes from time, as Sam Reed took his goal tally to two this season.

Alsop, who had been providing all game, yet again fed Walter at the near post. On the boundary of the by-line, he squared it across goal to Reed who easily smashed the ball home into the roof of the net.

Into added time, substitute Joel Watts found himself beyond the defender Littlefair after a long ball forward. Beating Iron as he charged out, Watts easily knocked it past the goalie and slotted the ball into an empty net, but it wasn’t enough for his side as referee Nigel Smith blew the whistle shortly after.

The result saw Ely climb up two places in the Thurlow Nun Premier Division, moving up to 13th, level on points with both Godmanchester Rovers and Long Melford. They are, however, ahead on goal difference.

Ely City: Iron, Jeffrey (Brooks, 61), Alsop (C), Griffin, Williams, Littlefair, Theobald (Neal, 61), Walter, Reed, Darling, Simpson

Gorleston: Molloy, Wise, Ingram, E Short (Taylor, 22), Yusuff, J Short, Stanton (Goreham, 84), Oldham (C) (Watts, 69), Garrod, Ingram, Middleton