FC Clacton ended their losing run to sign off the season on a positive note as they defeated Diss Town 1-0 at a wet and windy Rush Green Bowl, in the process leapfrogging the visitors to end the season in 15^th place. Lee Peacock was the Seasiders hero as he scored his second goal in consecutive games in his final game for the Seasiders. The win also provided a perfect ending for the retiring Sean Hillier who came off the bench for a cameo appearance in the final twenty minutes, replacing brother Paul who made a surprise appearance registering his first appearance of the season.

Playing with a strong wind at their back in the first half Clacton struggled to take full advantage with Diss creating the better chances in the first half despite the game being very even in terms of possession and territory. The visitors had the ball in the net after five minutes through Stuart Jopling after Ed Wootten had parried a long range shot but the Diss striker was denied by the officials’ flag, as he was judged to be offside.

After twelve minutes good work down the left by Aaron Condon saw him cross low for Kevin Coyle to skew over the bar and a minute later James Pipe missed a glorious chance as Jason Cole surged down the right and crossed for Pipe to put the ball wide from close range. On twenty one minutes the visitors missed another great chance from a corner as Brendan Foley headed wide at the far post when he probably should have done better.

Clacton went close just before the half hour mark when Kevin Coyle beat a man and fired a low shot that was deflected just wide. However the Seasiders did take the lead after thirty-nine minutes when, in a similar fashion to his goal a week earlier at Gorleston, Lee Peacock rose to home a left wing corner. 

Before they could get to the break though Clacton had to survive two further scares when Foley headed wide again from a corner when he could have scored and then following a poor clearance by Wootten Danny Easlea chipped an excellent forty yard effort back towards goal which had Wootten beaten as he hared back to his goal, but fortunately for the Clacton keeper the ball dropped just over the bar.

If Clacton were expecting to face a Diss onslaught as well as the strong wind in the second half it never really materialised, although in fairness Clacton did not seriously test Matty Webster in the Diss goal either. Clacton’s lead was preserved in the sixty-first minute as Diss create a chance down the right but when the ball was crossed Pipe’s close range effort was diverted away for a corner by a tremendous block from Matt Cripps a couple of yards out.

Hillier replaced Hillier in the seventieth minute as Sean took the pitch for his farewell appearance in a Clacton shirt playing in his favoured position up front, although he did not get the chance to add to his 178 Clacton goals with the Seasiders looking to hold on to their lead to end their run of defeats. And they did this fairly comfortably until injury time when they needed Ed Wootten to ensure they got all three points as Jamie Speller got down the left and flashed a vicious shot from a tight angle that Wootten did well to tip around the far post.

Shortly afterwards the referee brought the game, the season and a number of FC Clacton careers to a close with messrs Hillier and Peacock moving on to new adventures and no doubt a number of other players also setting their sights on bigger and better things. Well done to all of the players and management on this season. Now roll on August!