RIDGEONS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Mildenhall Town 0 Soham Town Rangers 3 A CROWD of 250 saw Soham complete the Premier Division double over fourth-placed local rivals Mildenhall, thanks to three second-half goals. Lea Jordan was back in goal for the visi

RIDGEONS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Mildenhall Town 0 Soham Town Rangers 3

A CROWD of 250 saw Soham complete the Premier Division double over fourth-placed local rivals Mildenhall, thanks to three second-half goals.

Lea Jordan was back in goal for the visitors in place of Ian Pledger, and he had little to do during an even and uneventful first half.

Rangers finally broke the deadlock 10 minutes after the interval however, when the hosts were temporarily a player down as a result of Baillie receiving treatment for a facial injury.

Michael Simpson made a great run into the Mildenhall box and fired in a shot which was only partially cleared by the home defence. The ball eventually reached Darren Jimson on the edge of the penalty area, and his effort looped over goalkeeper Nower and inside the far post.

Seven minutes later a Simon Flanz free-kick was driven into the middle of the Mildenhall area, and Jimson turned his marker before prodding the ball past Nower for his second goal of the game.

Jordan was immediately called into action as Mildenhall tried to get back into contention, making a brilliant double-save - first denying Paynter and then Tatham.

Rangers substitute Martin McNeil - who was introduced to the fray immediately after their 55th minute opener - then received his marching orders just quarter-of-an-hour later following a dangerous tackle on Baillie, leaving Soham to re-organise for the remaining 20 minutes or so.

With 11 minutes left however, Rangers made the points safe with goal number three.

Charles Libam beat the outrushing 'keeper to Flanz's long through ball, and rolled it into an empty net from 20 yards to put the match beyond recall.

CRC 2 Soham Town Rangers 0

(Wednesday night game, March 26)

SOHAM'S title hopes had earlier threatened to unravel with this Abbey Stadium defeat.

Andy Coleman and Callum Kearns came in for Martin McNeil and Scott Carter, with Ian Pledger replacing Martyn Margarson in goal, his loan spell from Rushden & Diamonds having expired.

Soham had the better of the opening exchanges, and Andy Furnell headed against the bar from a Charles Libam cross in the early stages.

CRC goalkeeper Beagle was relatively untroubled however, until having to palm away Scott Johnson's inswinging corner.

Nevertheless it was against the run of play that the young Cambridge side took the lead after 35 minutes.

Bussens picked out Patrick on the left side of Soham's penalty area, and the winger's curling drive flew beyond Pledger and inside the far post.

Rangers continued to enjoy the majority of possession after the break, but were unable to put their chances away.

Beagle deflected a Furnell effort wide, and Libam was twice denied by the woodwork as Soham pressed for an equaliser. His first effort hit the bar, and his second struck the angle from the edge of the box.

CRC continued to look dangerous on the break, and had chances to put the match beyond recall before a stoppage-time goal did just that.

Rangers had pushed forward in numbers, leaving Wixon time and space to measure his cross for substitute Marriott to fire past Pledger to secure a 2-0 victory.

This was the third of four successive wins for CRC, whereas leaders Soham had taken only one point from a possible nine prior to Saturday's win.