Fakenham Town hope for brighter fortunes under floodlights to-morrow (Friday) night when they entertain Stowmarket at Clipbush Park (7.45pm).While the Ghosts were desperately unlucky to lose at Saffron Walden at the weekend, Stow were winning 5-2 at Long Melford to give Fakenham a chance of getting off the Ridgeons Division One bottom spot.

Fakenham Town hope for brighter fortunes under floodlights to-morrow (Friday) night when they entertain Stowmarket at Clipbush Park (7.45pm).

While the Ghosts were desperately unlucky to lose at Saffron Walden at the weekend, Stow were winning 5-2 at Long Melford to give Fakenham a chance of getting off the Ridgeons Division One bottom spot.

Saffron Walden 2, Fakenham Town 1

Both home goals came from free-kicks wide left which found a striker at the far post, the second in the 93rd minute which was preceded by a hotly-disputed edge-of-box free-kick decision.

Then in a final throw of the dice Karl Pask shaved a post which meant the Ghosts failed to get the point joint managers Stuart Woodhouse and Mark King felt they deserved.

Against such route-one opposition, earlier in the season Town would have lost heavily, said Woodhouse. But new-found concentration on defence - with new goalkeeper Ian Cooper signed from Diss in commanding form - so nearly paid off.

In a pre-match team chat the Ghosts looked for ways of avoiding giving away silly goals . And the side responded with Adam and Ben Woodhouse and Nick Tagg rising to the occasion, supported by the tackling of Kevin Whittred.

Things looked on course at 0-0 at half-time but a free-kick eluded everyone except a home forward at the far post. The Ghosts hit back some seven minutes later, Mark Betts making sure a shot which had appeared to have crossed the line was in the back of the net.

Then came a late free-kick outside the area given when a home forward appeared to duck as a defender rose above him to win a header. That led to a second free-kick, with exactly the same result as that which set up the first Saffron Walden goal, the home side by this time down to 10 men.

Jason Cole and James Bamford are available again. Keeper Daniel Stockdale has asked for a rest.

Team at Saffron Walden: Cooper, Ben Woodhouse, Adam Woodhouse, Tagg, Haynes, Day, Whittred, Critten, Fenwick, Betts, Pask. Subs: Raisbury, King.