THE weather continued to have its effect on the Ridgeons League Premier Division with four fixtures falling victim to the wintery conditions with waterlogged pitches.

THE weather continued to have its effect on the Ridgeons League Premier Division with four fixtures falling victim to the wintery conditions with waterlogged pitches. The games that were played saw the status quo maintained in the top ten positional wise, although the top two stretched further away from those below them.

Leaders CRC stretched their winning run to five games and their unbeaten tag to 24 as they smashed six past Walsham Le Willows. The home side were away and clear within 15 minutes of the start with goals from Marriot, Berry and Igglesden and Brighton made it four before the break with a fierce free kick. Marriot and Bailey completed the scoring in the second half to improve their goal difference to an almost uncatchable + 27 over their nearest rivals. For Walsham it ended a miserable week that saw three defeats and 12 goals conceded to drop them to 15th in the table.

Second-placed Needham Market had to work hard to take all three points at home to the improving Magpies of Dereham, a deflected shot from Thrower gave the home side the lead at the break which they maintained to take the points although Gay had to pull off a brilliant save in the last minute from Buhlemann to ensure the points stayed at Bloomfields.

Third-placed Leiston shared the points with their nearest challengers Stanway Rovers but had to come from behind after Callender gave Rovers a 63rd minute lead. It was Calver who levelled in the 74th minute but the draw saw both sides lose ground on the top two.

Fifth-placed Kirkley & Pakefield's ground was ruled unfit, but they maintained their position on goal difference as the two below moved level on points after playing out a goal-less draw at RecWay. Sixth-placed Mildenhall and seventh-placed Felixstowe & Walton may not have scored but both keepers were kept busy in an entertaining game.

Dereham remained eighth after their defeat at Needham Market while Wroxham, ninth, and Debenham, tenth, also kept their positions without playing.

Hadleigh United remained in 11th spot despite their home defeat by Newmarket, who gained two spots to climb above Haverhill who were also inactive and Walsham who lost at CRC, to move into 13th place. It was an evenly contested game at The Millfield with the points decided on two penalty appeals, Payne looked to have a good case turned down in the 75th minute and 60 seconds later Newmarket's Olive was upended in the area for Bugg to step up and hit the game's only goal from the penalty spot.

In the only other game played 19th placed Woodbridge picked up their first point of the season at Notcutts Park as they drew 3-3 with 18th placed Norwich United in a see-saw game that saw the advantage swing back and forth.

There was only one goal in it at the break with Goddard giving the home side the lead. Shipley levelled matters early in the second half and Hunter put the visitors in front. The home side came back strongly with Seaman levelling the game for the second time and Churchyard regaining the lead for the home side but Norwich hit back once more through Atkins to see the game end level.