Castlemen celebrate first league win of the season at nine-man Ipswich Wanderers

Ipswich Wanderers keeper, Craig Brand, who was kept on his toes in the first half and then sent off in stoppage time, during the 3-2 home defeat to Framlingham Town. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

Framlingham Town celebrated their first league win of the season, after a backs-to-the-wall second-half performance at Ipswich Wanderers, who ended the match with just nine men at a damp and windswept Humber Doucy Lane tonight.

These two sides had shared 10 goals in a 5-5 thriller at Badingham Road in early August, and it was another incident-packed encounter in the return.

A brace from Danny Smith helped the Castlemen to their first league win, at the eighth time of asking, while Wanderers spurned a chance to move up to second in the Thurlow Nunn Division One North table.

To add to the home side's woes, they had both substitute Camillo Douglas and keeper Craig Brand sent off late on, for straight red-card offences.

Danny Smith is about to step up and convert a penalty, to put Framlingham Town 2-1 up at Ipswich Wanderers. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

It was a frenetic opening few minutes, with both sides scoring inside the first five minutes.

Striker Smith fired home an excellent opener for the visitors on three minutes, only for Wanderers to equalise via Josh Buckles' finish from a corner in the fifth minute.

The Castlemen regained their lead via the penalty spot in the 10th minute when Gavin Flurrie fouled Jonathan Fryatt inside the box. Up stepped Smith to smash the ensuing spot kick high into the roof of the net, to notch his second goal of the game.

Wanderers came desperately close to an equaliser when Daniel Thrower's terrific free-kick was palmed to safety by keeper Harry Lay-Fulcher, who dived to his right to make the save.

And the hosts found themselves 3-1 down in the 16th minute as Fram centre-half Anthony Johnson found the back of the net from close-in with a cheeky overhead kick.

The visitors were denied a fourth goal by an offside flag in the 37th minute. Wanderers skipper Rhys Barber headed off his own goal-line, and although Matt Aldis was on hand to head home the rebound from point-blank range, the goal was ruled out for offside.

A cracking 30-yard strike by Thrower, whose shot soared into the net behind a strong wind, reduced the deficit to 3-2 in the 48th minute.

Wanderers then laid siege to the Fram goal, peppering the target but without finding an equaliser, substitute Marcus Taylor twice missing from point blank range.