Parson Drove stun high-flying Heacham

Heacham 0, FC Parson Drove 3

Thurlow Nunn First Division North

Parson Drove produced their best performance of the season as they defeated high-flying Heacham on Saturday.

Kyial West scored twice for Drove and Scott Waumsley grabbed the other as the visitors ended a run of three successive defeats by picking up their first league points of October.

Heacham were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time following a moment of petulance from home midfielder Alex Clunan, but that could take away nothing from Drove for an excellent performance on their travels.

There couldn't have been two sets of more contrasting form coming into this afternoon's encounter.

The free-scoring Magpies had taken 15 points from their last six fixtures while Drove had picked up just three from the same amount of games and were without a league win this month.

Heacham started with their tails up as Fletcher Toll was denied by Max Flintoff and a Clunan free-kick from the right just failed to find John Flanagan at the far post.

The early home pressure continued as Nathan Davies found Toll who picked his spot only to be denied by Flintoff who flung himself to his right to keep the score goalless.

Despite the fast start from the Magpies it was Drove who took the lead in the 11th minute as West scored with his second attempt as the hosts failed to clear their lines.

Heacham responded as a Jack Frohawk corner was headed on by Toll and the ball whistled wide of the post before Flanagan curled an effort wide of the target after a fine solo run.

It seemed a matter of time before Heacham were back on level terms but battling Drove had other ideas as their doubled their advantage 13 minutes before the break.

The Magpies were caught cold by a long ball over the top and Waumsley had the visitors in ecstasy as he chipped over former Drove goalkeeper Aaron Watson to put Arran Duke's (read his thoughts here) side 2-0 in front.

Heacham's Kieran Shipp then came to his side's rescue as he blocked a Waumsley shot in the box after Jay Chima lost his footing on the edge of the area.

A measure of the home side's frustration was all too apparent on the stroke of half-time as Clunan was sent-off for a clear headbutt on Taylor Harrison on the near touchline.

It left the Magpies, who made a triple change at the interval, with 10 men for the second 45 minutes.

Luke Gray, Paulius Falcao and Lewis Gibson were all introduced at the expense of Matt Goss, Frohawk and Davies as the league leaders tried to find a way back into the contest.

The fingertips of Watson denied Thomas Kendrick at the start of the half as Drove looked to make their one-man advantage count further.

Watson then saved well from West before the visiting forward headed the resulting corner over the crossbar.

A curling shot from Brody Warren then came back off the woodwork as the Cambridgeshire outfit continued to carve out the better opportunities in front of goal.

Drove wrapped the game up 20 minutes from the full-time whistle as West found the back of the net for his second of the afternoon despite the best efforts of a home defender.

The impressive Waumsley was denied his second by a flying save from Watson in the dying stages and there was still time for substitute Josh Gear to drill a shot across the face of goal as Drove ended the game well on top.

This was only Drove's third win of the campaign – but gives them something to build on as they look to move away from the bottom reaches of the table.

Heacham: Watson, Akers, Chima, Clunan, Rawlings, Frohawk (Gibson 46 mins), Goss (Falcao 46), Toll, Davies (Gray 46), Shipp, Flanagan.

FC Parson Drove: Flintoft, Haggert-King, Calvert, Brown, Miller, Kendrick, Warren (Gear 85 mins) Weaver-Pope, West (Baker 77), Taylor, Waumsley.