RIDGEONS LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION Swaffham Town 1 Ely City 2 NICK Impey s injury-time winner put The Robins back in the title race. Ely produced what manager Dennis Lightning described as their best performance of the season. He said: The lads effort and

RIDGEONS LEAGUE

FIRST DIVISION

Swaffham Town 1 Ely City 2

NICK Impey's injury-time winner put The Robins back in the title race.

Ely produced what manager Dennis Lightning described as their best performance of the season.

He said: "The lads' effort and commitment was absolutely superb and the win was thoroughly deserved."

City dominated from the start and came close to taking the lead three times in the first half, with Simon Warren heading narrowly wide, Tom Beech looping a header over the bar and Nick Impey shooting just wide from outside the penalty area.

A controversial goal gave the hosts the lead 15 minutes after the re-start.

A long ball was played over the top and, as the Ely defenders stopped, claiming off-side, a Swaffham winger raced clear and lash the ball across the penalty area to leave a striker with a simple tap in.

Ely continued to dominate possession and the inevitable equaliser came in the 72nd minute, with Impey smashing a superb half-volley into the top corner from just inside the penalty area.

City pushed hard for the winner with the hosts pinned back in their own half for the rest of the match.

Just when the leaders looked to have escaped with a point, two minutes into stoppage time, Impey chased a lost cause and kept the ball from going out for a goal-kick before squeezing his shot past the keeper at the near post.

Lightning said: "I told the lads before the match that the next 90 minutes will make the difference between us playing for the title or battling for second and third place and they all delivered. It was the best I've seen them play all season.

"It's amazing what can happen in a week's football. Last week promotion was taken out of our hands, now we are three points off the top with a game in hand and a better goal difference.

"It's not going to be easy but we don't have to play anyone in the top seven for the rest of

the season and the top teams will all be taking points off each

other, so we're in a fantastic position."

# Ely beat Langford 3-2 in extra time in the Hunts Premier Cup on Tuesday.

Ely's next match is away to Cornard in the league on Saturday and they play Whitton away on Tuesday.