The UEA 2s avenged their solitary loss of the season against Jarrolds with a classy display in beating them 6-1 at Colney Lane. Bell and Read returned to replace the unavailable Willerton and Katase in an otherwise unchanged starting XI. UEA set the tone with their familiar passing style allowing their wide players to see a lot of the ball and the central trio of Bell, Williams and Evans pulling the strings. The U's were dominant from the off with numerous corners from Dodman and Rafuse seeing the goalkeeper come off his line to flap at the ball and almost find its way onto an onrushing UEA head. UEA nearly took the lead just inside twenty minutes when a short corner was headed out by a Jarrolds defender only to find the left foot of the onrushing Rafuse who rattled the post with a fierce volley. It was not long for the 2s to open the scoring, where some fine work down the left from Dodman saw him beat his marker and square the ball to Williams who had enough time in the box to get the ball out of his feet and place the ball home. It was soon two, when the Jarrolds right back had enough of seeing Dodman skip past him and decided to bring him down to the left of the box. Dodman picked himself up to whip the free-kick over the wall and into the back of the net despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it. Kibbey continued his role as a spectator in goal for much of the first half and remained untested by any of the Jarrolds forwards. However, his distribution was causing Jarrolds problems with Bell and Read in particular showing their dominance in the air. This led to UEA's third when a flick-on found Dryden wide on the right, who then brought the ball down well with his shin to then beat the Jarrolds left back and drive a low cross into the box to find Bell who displayed the composure and audacity from six yards out to back-heel to Williams to tuck the ball away for 3-0. Half-time approached without Jarrolds registering a shot on target and UEA's quality perhaps still could have been better reflected by a bigger lead.
The U's continued where they left off, knowing how crucial the first goal after half time usually is and how quickly Jarrolds' heads got up after they got back into the game in the reverse fixure earlier in the season. However, there was not to be a repeat as some more good work down the right from Dryden and Allison saw the latter find the onrushing Dodman to grab his second despite the efforts of a Jarrolds defender to clear the ball off the line. UEA continued to want more from the game the chances kept coming with Read, Dodman and Bell all having attempts at goal. Bell opened his account on a counter attack which saw him take the ball the majority of the way himself before tucking the ball away to get the goal his display deserved. UEA won one of the more obvious penalties you will see where a tackle from behind in the box right infront of the referee usually does mean they will point to the spot. Dodman was allowed the opportunity to record a hat-trick, however his attempt to the goalkeeper's left was saved, much to the delight of the Jarrolds' team who could have been confused for a side that had just won a game rather than be 5-0 behind. Jarrolds managed to grab a consolation when some sloppy UEA defending in their own box and some unnoticed shirt-pulling saw them pass the ball past the helpless Kibbey to leave UEA still searching for their first clean sheet of the season. UEA quickly got back on top of the game and not long after, the final goal came when a Rafuse corner found its way to Dryden to tuck the ball home for his first goal of the season to round of the scoring. Dodman had another chance to record his hat-trick when substitute Jones beat his man down the right to square him the ball, yet his effort was skied over the bar from six-yards. Time began expiring without Jarrolds managing anything of note in the UEA half and the final whistle came seeing UEA 2s score six goals for the fourth time this season in only their seventh game.
The U's have found their stride and have added consistency to some early promising displays to clearly be one of the frontrunners in the division. With some tough fixtures against likely rivals to come in November, the level of performance will have to be maintained to see the two point gap between first and UEA in second eradicated and potentially a lead developed.
