Kirkley & Pakefield 2, Newmarket Town 1

The Royals claimed all three points in a game that was held up for just under an hour after Newmarket’s James Attwood suffered a nasty shoulder injury in the first minute of the match.

When play finally resumed at 3:55pm, it took K&P just four minutes to break the deadlock as Ryan Crisp latched onto Scott Martin’s through pass to round keeper Robin Mackney and slip the ball home.

Both teams then came close in the swirling wind with Louis Bailey’s free-kick deflecting off the post for the visitors and Alex Holmes missing a golden opportunity from three yards.

Kirkley struck again in the 28th minute as central defender Zak Clarke curled a brilliant free-kick round the wall and into the far corner for 2-0.

After the interval, the full-time results from other games began to filter through, yet both sides were still locked in a battle to secure the three points at Walmer Road. Kirkley’s Bodie Carter beat two players before hitting a shot against the post and at the other end, a dangerous corner floated onto the Royals’ crossbar as it drifted in the wind.

Against the run of play, Newmarket halved K&P’s lead on 78 minutes as Jordan Brockett fired past Attridge after some neat play from Johnny Olive.

The away side did grow in confidence following the goal, yet the closest they came to a winner was a header from substitute Des Ford which was comfortably held.

K&P: Attridge, Newrick, Bloomfield, De Coteau, Clarke, Martin, Carter, Brown, Crisp, Holmes, Manning.

Subs: Potter (for Brown), Van Tromp (for Carter), Atkins, Besford (for Manning).

Newmarket: Mackney, Hanover, Bailey, Libertore, Dancy, Crick, Attwood, Grainger, Olive, King, Brockett.

Subs: Ford, Bell, Lane.

Referee: A. Sannerude

Man Of The Match: Zak Clarke.