Once again it was a much-changed team with Under 16s Sam Horne & Jack Garnham making their full debuts in the centre of midfield with Mehmet Duzgun who was making his first start at Notcutts Park, while Miles Powell made his first appearance of the season as a half-time substitute following knee surgery. However, the team was strengthened by the inclusion of 1st team substitutes Stefan Marsh & Craig Jennings

While there was plenty of patient & admirable build-up play, it seldom led to efforts on goal in the opening 30 minutes, but gradually the approach play began to lead to chances with Jennings shooting wide & Danny Tatum testing the keeper before CRAIG JENNINGS put the home team ahead, following in after Garnham had struck the bar from 25 yards. Jennings quickly had an effort blocked & also fired past the post while strong penalty claims were waved away after Horne was seemingly fouled. At the other end Marsh & David Kempson ensured Lewis Rhodes remained untested throughout the whole of the 1st half.

Grant Salisbury, Miles Powell & Stuart Baillie all entered the game as half-time substitutes & Baillie was quickly in the thick of the action as he sent Jennings through twice in the opening minutes, but both efforts were wayward. Diss were within inches of snatching a shock equalizer when a rasping free-kick rebounded off the bar, but order was soon restored as Woodbridge laid siege around the Diss penalty area.

Amazingly, the score remained 1-0 until the final 15 minutes when CRAIG JENNINGS wriggled to find sufficient space to squeeze in a left-footed shot after Tatum & Baillie had both showed composure despite being surrounded by defenders.

Immediately, Rhodes succumbed to a back injury & with all substitutes already on the pitch Woodbridge had to play out the remainder of the game with only 10 men & with defender Grant Salisbury in goal. This didn’t seem to affect the home team though as they still passed the ball & created chances with Baillie hitting the bar before DANNY TATUM secured the points with a solo goal & cool finish on 85 minutes.

Salisbury couldn’t keep a clean sheet as Diss intercepted a pass out of defence & punished Woodbridge with a clever pull-back & precise shot. However, in the 8 minutes of added time with both teams carrying injured or tired bodies CRAIG JENNINGS completed the scoring & his own personal hat-trick when his long-range free-kick deceived the keeper & ‘eventually’ found the back of the net.

Team: Rhodes (injured 78), Fulker (Salisbury 45), Hood-Wright, Horne (Powell 45), Marsh, Kempson, Duzgun, J. Garnham (Baillie 45), Jennings, Tatum & Churchill

Next Thursday, the Under 18s are at Leiston (7.45pm kick off) but before then the Eastern Junior Alliance team play host to Satanway Rovers at Notcutts on Sunday afternoon (2pm kick off)