Late subs strike as Stowmarket down the ‘Peckers in six-goal thriller

Sam Nunn puts Stowmarket two ahead against Woodbridge Photo: PAUL LEECH (Image: Paul Leech)

Stowmarket Town closed the gap on second place to three points after beating Woodbridge Town 4-2 at Greens Meadow, writes Alex Moss.

Josh Mayhew and Sam Nunn opened the scoring for the Old Gold and Blacks in the first half, before goals from Jake Green and Mark Ray either side of the break saw second-placed Woodbridge get back on level terms.

Substitutes George Quantrell and Ryan Clark then both netted in the last 20 minutes for Stow, who stretched their unbeaten run to six games ahead of Tuesday night’s Suffolk Premier Cup semi-final against Felixstowe & Walton United.

In front of an impressive crowd of 373, Stow’s joint-leading goalscorer Mayhew opened the scoring on 24 minutes.

A spell of pressure from the home side paid off as defender Phill Weavers headed the ball onto the crossbar from a corner, and then Mayhew netted from the rebound for his 20th goal of the season.

Rick Andrews’ men doubled their lead eight minutes later when defender Nunn headed home, but for the rest of the half it was the Woodpeckers who were on top.

Two minutes after going further behind, the visitors pulled one back as a Carlos Edwards free kick found Green at the back post to head past Stow goalkeeper Callum Robinson.

Stow responded after the break and Alfie Stronge, in the Woodbridge goal, denied Mayhew a second, before Ollie Canfer headed over from a Quantrell cross.

Woodbridge's Mark Ray makes it 2-2 Photo: PAUL LEECH (Image: Paul Leech)

Ray got the visitors back on level terms on 64 minutes, but it was Stow who would have the last laugh, as Quantrell and Clark came off the bench and both scored to regain the home side’s two-goal cushion.

First, on 70 minutes, Luke Read threaded a classy through ball for Quantrell and the 16-year-old made no mistake in front of goal to put the Old Gold and Blacks back in front.

Six minutes later it was 4-2 after a great ball by Canfer over the last Woodbridge defender picked out Clark, who finished from a tight angle.

With third-placed Godmanchester Rovers also tasting defeat elsewhere, the victory for fourth-placed Stow meant they cut the gap on the two teams directly above them to three points.