Foster bags a hat-trick as Ely inflict a defeat on the road for Mildenhall

Ely captain Jamie Alsop wins a header during the Thurlow Nunn League clash with Mildenhall Town. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

Mildenhall Town are still waiting to collect their first point of the season, following relegation last term, after suffering a second successive away defeat, at Ely City tonight.

Beaten by a late goal in a 1-0 reverse at Brantham Athletic on Saturday, the Hall were undone by a hat-trick from livewire Jordan Foster at the Unwin Stadium, despite taking the lead.

It is not the sort of news that absent manager Ricky Cornish will want to hear - he was on best-man duties at a wedding abroad, and so could not make the game.

Fresh from a 2-1 win at Gorleston on the opening day of the season, Ely not surprisingly began with confidence and Ashley Walter headed straight at keeper Jake Hayhoe from Jamie Alsop's early free-kick.

Mildenhall's Kaine Manels is on the ball, at Ely City. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

Slow to get out of the traps, The Hall began to take control midway through the first half and Kaine Manels registered their first shot in anger, which was deflected wide on 17 minutes.

Three minutes later and Jack Brame was not far adrift with a diving header from Manels' teasing delivery.

But Brame was on target, in the 23rd minute, turning home from close-in to put the visitors in the driving seat. It was Brame's first goal, in his second appearance, since his summer switch from Walsham-le-Willows, for whom he bagged 20 goals last term.

It was nearly 2-0 shortly afterwards as a rasping low drive by Tommy Robinson was palmed away by keeper Harry Reynolds.

Ely equalised, out of the blue, in the 34th minute. Foster sprung the offside trap to round Hayhoe and steer into an unguarded net.

Just 60 seconds later and Matthew Simpson squandered a good chance to put the Robins ahead. He got behind the visitors' defence but screwed his shot across goal and wide of target.

Ely bossed the start of the second half, Hayhoe doing well to block a free-kick by Ryan Harnwell, but it was an error by Hayhoe which allowed the hosts to take the lead on 65 minutes.

Hayhoe got his hands to Foster's shot, struck from a central position, but he was deceived by the flight and could only watch as the ball spun into an empty net.

Foster completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute. Hayhoe ventured to the edge of his area to block the initial shot by Luke Crisp, but Foster pounced on the loose ball and guided it home.

Meanwhile, promotion favourites STOWMARKET TOWN celebrated their first win of the new Thurlow Nunn Premier season, at the expense of BRANTHAM ATHLETIC.

Ambitious Stowmarket had been held to a 2-2 draw at FC Clacton on Saturday, but they made no mistake at Greens Meadow, comfortably beating Brantham 3-0 in front of a big crowd of 297.

Jack Ainsley broke the deadlock on seven minutes, sweeping home after a goalmouth scramble to notch his first goal for his new club.

David Cowley squandered a gilt-edged chance to double the lead when firing into the side-netting, with an empty goal beckoning. But Cowley made amends by duly netting Stow's second goal in the 58th minute, from a corner.

Brantham tried to get back into the game and Andrade volleyed narrowly over in the 79th minute, but two minutes later and Stowmarket were celebrating their third goal, Seb Dunbar chalking up his first goal for the club.

Elsewhere, HAVERHILL ROVERS enjoyed a 2-0 win at Godmanchester, the hosts having finished third in the table behind Histon and Woodbridge last season.

Josh Revell bagged the opener, and shortly afterwards Jordan Palmer added a second to seal a fine away win.

An entertaining second-half saw STANWAY ROVERS grab a late winner in a 3-2 victory at Hadleigh United.

Winger Jordan Blackwell tapped home the opening goal for Rovers from an accurate cross in the 31st minute.

Andrew Wood doubled the lead with a sweet finish in the 48th minute, but Hadleigh were handed a lifeline when Joel Glover was brought down in the box, enabling Ben Elliot to convert a 58th minute penalty.

And it was 2-2 on 77 minutes, thanks to a goal by Glover, only for Stanway to take all three points via an 82nd minute by Milo Grimes.

NEWMARKET TOWN inflicted a 4-1 defeat on LONG MELFORD. Nathan Rowe netted a late consolation for the visitors. Robinson, Seymour, Watson and Lovell were the Jockeys' marksmen.

WHITTON UNITED crashed to a 4-1 home defeat at the hands of FC CLACTON, despite Liam Wales putting them 1-0 up on 24th minutes.

In Division One, FRAMLINGHAM TOWN and IPSWICH WANDERERS shared 10 goals in a 5-5 thriller at Badingham Road