Fakenham Town take a break from league action on Saturday when they visit fellow Ridgeons One outfit Long Melford in the early stages of the FA Vase.Long Melford are third of three teams at the top of the division with 10 points from three games, while the Ghosts are sixth, only three points adrift despite having to cope with injuries and players being unavailable.

Fakenham Town take a break from league action on Saturday when they visit fellow Ridgeons One outfit Long Melford in the early stages of the FA Vase.

Long Melford are third of three teams at the top of the division with 10 points from three games, while the Ghosts are sixth, only three points adrift despite having to cope with injuries and players being unavailable.

Fakenham Town 2, Cambridge University Press 4

Fakenham took on the league newcomers and Division One pace-setters with a depleted side which suffered a couple of serious injuries, writes Paul Wright.

Skipper Stephen Harvey was at defender Lee Hyde's wedding, Simon Bush and Martin Allen were missing from the side that beat Downham midweek and James Bamford was out through injury.

CUP took the lead in the ninth minute when striker Blandford got the last touch on a swerving free-kick that eluded the defence.

The Ghosts were back on terms on 15 minutes. Julian Delicata was impeded in the area and pushed the resulting spot-kick wide of Novak.

The game was littered with niggling fouls, and CUP regained the lead when Molloy went down in the area under a clumsy challenge from Daryll Rose, the same player converting the resulting spot-kick.

Fakenham striker Nicky Bunting was stretchered off just prior to half-time, having twisted his knee badly. But Fakenham kept themselves in the game as they clawed a goal back in time added on. Rose beat two defenders in the area and set up Delicata with an inch-perfect cross that the striker headed into the top corner.

The second half started with the dangerous Molloy finishing a flowing cross-field move with a low shot that skimmed past a post. Then Hakimi saw his long-range effort tipped over by Tom Rix.

Fakenham were still in the game and substitute Yiotis Alamanos also flashed a shot over the bar.

Royce Rawlings left the field after an elbow from the visiting captain Flitton caught him in the face. Although he resumed after lengthy treatment, he had to be hospitalised later for corrective surgery. Flitton was cautioned.

In the 67th minute Molloy hit a spectacular 30-yard shot that rifled into the top corner.

Fakenham left themselves exposed at the back and Molloy capped off a match-winning display by completing a hat-trick.

Fakenham's Sam Garner, playing his last game for the club before joining the RAF, was sent off for a second bookable offence in the dying minutes.