FC Clacton stretched their winning streak to seven matches as they overcame Haverhill Rovers 2-0 to equal the longest winning streak since the club’s change to the FC Clacton name. It was a deserved victory for Andy Taylor’s men although the final result was in doubt until Karl Andrade’s 80^th minute strike doubled Billy Wales’ opening goal.

Clacton’s squad was more familiar compared to the youthful side that did so well on Tuesday night against Burnham Ramblers with Tom Austin, Joe Martin and Kevin Coyle all returning to the side.

However, it wasn’t until twenty three minutes in that either side fashioned a chance worthy of note when a neat reverse pass nearly set Lee Barrett through but his effort was charged down by the legs of the onrushing Luke Howard.

At the other end Barrett then proceeded to get himself in referee Mr Artis’ (soon to be much fuller) notebook as he needlessly got involved in a spot of handbags with Stuart Kingham after the Rovers man has rashly fouled Joe Playle, a challenge that also earned him the Haverhill man a caution.

Just after the half hour mark Clacton broke the deadlock with a neat goal. James Dunkley played an excellent forty yard pass to pick out Billy Wales bursting forward in the left channel. The young midfielder excellently controlled the ball and as it bounced hit a shot that, with the aid of a slight deflection, flew over Howard and into the far corner.

Haverhill’s best effort of the half came five minutes after the goal when a corner was not cleared and Scott Lodge fired a shot just wide of Playle’s right hand post.

The second half followed a similar pattern with both defences generally on top, thwarting the best efforts of both sides before they became real opportunities. With a quarter of the game left Taylor brought on Karl Andrade and Matt Waters to provide fresh legs and pace to the attack.

It was Wales who tested the keeper first though, again driving forward, to latch onto Sean Hillier’s touch, bursting past a defenders challenge only for Howard to again block with his legs.

On seventy minutes Haverhill substitute Ryan Charles missed a great chance to equalise as he arrived right on cue to met Jack Higgs left wing cross eight yards out but he just got under the cross as it arrived and headed well over.

Waters thought he had doubled Clacton’s lead with fifteen minutes left as Hillier again flicked the ball on for Waters to loop the ball over first a defenders challenge and then the advancing Howard only for Greg Strong to volley clear off his own goal line. The home side did then seal the points with ten minutes left as a counter attack saw Waters break down the left, cross to the unmarked Barrett on the right of the area, who in turn laid the ball back across the face of goal for Andrade to drill into the empty net.

In injury time Playle was forced into his first real save of the afternoon as former QPR man Stuart Wardley curled an excellent free kick that save Playle fly to his left to push away. With it the slim hopes of an unlikely Haverhill comeback were pushed away as well, as Clacton leapfrogged their visitors to move to exactly mid-table in the Ridgeons Premier Division.