Report by Rob Binns
Woodbridge Town suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to the recently-crowned league champions Mildenhall Town.
Jack Finlinson put the Peckers in front early on with his first senior goal for the club but goals from Kieran Twinn and John Kaye saw the Hall in front at the break before Tanner Call wrapped up the game in the second half.
The Peckers took the lead after 9 minutes with a brilliant counter from a Mildenhall corner. Stronge punched away the initial cross before Kubi Kussan won the second ball and broke away. He stuck Ryan Keeble down the channel who drove forward and slotted in Finlinson who poked goalwards. The keeper got a foot to his effort but couldn’t keep it out.
The Hall equalised in the 17th minute with a well-worked goal of their own. Ben Nolan created it with a great drive down the wing from right back before crossing into the centre of the box. Twinn rose highest to meet it and headed into the near post.
The visitors went in front in the 23rd minute when some close interplay in the centre of the Peckers third opened up space to shoot for Kaye who took full advantage with a drilled effort into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.
Mildenhall went close three minutes after the break when substitute Simon Swinton let fly from outside the box but Stronge parried his effort away at full stretch.
From the resulting corner, they doubled their lead when Stronge saved a flick on at the near post but the second ball wasn’t cleared allowing Call to poke home from close range.
The visitors almost scored a fourth shortly after when Call was through one-on-one, he drove into the box and got a shot away but could only fire wide.
Mildenhall went close again in stoppage time when substitute Ollie Hughes broke in behind and got a shot away which was well saved by Stronge before Call reacted fastest to the rebound but Stronge got up quickly to make a double save.
It certainly wasn’t a poor performance from Woodbridge despite the result but Mildenhall showed why they’ll be playing Step 4 football next season and earned the victory. Next up for the Peckers is another home match next Saturday against Sheringham.
Woodbridge: Stronge, Schaar, Leggett, Clark, Wiggins (Barber 67), Rea (Allen 67), Finlinson (Monteith-Weed 62), Southgate (Bolt 52), Trotter (Crowe 62), Kussan, Keeble
Mildenhall: Pope, Nolan (Swinton 47), Wigley, Butcher, Capel, Kaye, Robson (Henry 62), Connor (Steed 62), Twinn (Hughes 62), Call, Anderson (Chambers-Shaw 35)