HALSTEAD Town overcame a number of setbacks to stay in the Thurlow Nunn League division one promotion fight with a local derby win at Braintree Town Reserves.

Injuries and players not being available meant Halstead had to make five changes from the side that started their 2-2 draw with Saffron Walden Town the week before.

However, the youngsters who came in rose to the challenge with a 3-1 win.

Lee Green made his debut for the Humbugs and the 16-year-old marked his first appearance with a goal, with other strikes coming from Whitton United loanee Karl Andrade and Llewellyn Evans.

The promotion race in the premier division is also hotting up and STANWAY ROVERS made sure they stayed in the heart of it with a 4-0 win against Newmarket Town at the Hawthorns.

The Jockeys had lost just three times in the league all season, but came unstuck against Rovers, who wrapped up their win with one goal in the first half and three more after the break.

Angelo Harrop’s team moved up to fourth with their win, but there was further torment for FC CLACTON at the other end of the table.

They had more than enough chances to get something from their trip to Mildenhall Town, with Kevin Coyle, James Dunkley, Aaron Condon, Billy Wales and Lee Peacock all going close to scoring.

However, they couldn’t find the breakthrough and a 26th minute strike for the hosts was enough for them to impose a seventh straight defeat on the Seasiders.

There were no such problems for BRANTHAM ATHLETIC, though, as they went ahead after less than a minute of their game against visiting Gorleston when Ollie Mann fired home an early penalty.

Mann went on to add another and Sean Gunn also added a brace as Brantham won 4-0.