Ely returned to league action after a 10 day break with a near to full squad available. Only Matty Simpson was missing due to injury. The pitch had dried out well but was still sticky in places and a bit bobbly as a young Dereham team visited the Unwin.

Ely got off to a fast start and after only a minute won a corner that Jamie Alsop delivered and Sam Goodge headed goal wards only for the keeper to make a good save. This set the tone for the remainder of the first half as it was all one way traffic really with Dereham having a few counter attacks. However Ely were not being clinical enough in the final third with Sam Goodge, Ash Walter, James Seymour, Alex Theobald and Craig Neal all being guilty of missing good chances in front of goal. The break through did come in the 27th minute when Josh Sewell, up for a corner, found himself in a wide position and crossed the ball into the box where Alex Theobald reacted to a knock down in the box and was able to finish through a crowd of players. Further chances were created but the shoreline did not change before the end of the first half.

Ely started the second half with more urgency and were again on the front foot looking to increase their lead and the second game goal came when Craig Neal crossed for Alex Theobald to smartly get in front of his defender to finish. 2-0 soon became 3-0 as James Seymour got clear and after cutting back past the keeper he managed to bundle the ball towards the goal where Craig Neal was able to finish. 3-0 with 30 minutes left and the home crowd could not be wrongly accused of sensing more goals for Ely against the young Magpies. However credit to Dereham that they never gave up hope of getting back in the game and after a high ball into the Ely box was not dealt with properly it allowed a Dereham attacker to get past a couple of challenges and finish. 3-1 then became 3-2 when again a ball into the Ely box was not dealt with and a Dereham forward had time to finish from only 8 yards. In what should have been a comfortable finish to the game was now a nervy 15 minutes for Ely as Dereham sensed they could get another. Luke Mansfield, who was on for Alex Theobald, had a couple of breakaways from the Dereham pressure but could not get the fourth goal to kill the game off. Ely managed to hold on in the remaining minutes that included a vital block in a goal mouth scramble when a Dereham forward was allowed a free header from a corner in the last minute.

3 points for Ely was the main outcome of a slightly frustrating afternoon as no disrespect to the young Dereham team who never gave up, Ely should of wrapped the game up much more comfortably.

Friday night football returns this week as we visit Haverhill Borough on 26th February with a 7:45pm kick off.