WIVENHOE TOWN moved to within four points of securing the Thurlow Nunn League division one title as they held on for a three-point haul against Great Yarmouth Town.

The Dragons have second-placed Ely City breathing down their necks, but following their 4-3 win against the Bloaters at the Maple Tree Cars Stadium, they have taken a significant step towards the title.

It was a win that was set up by an Adam Hampson hat-trick, but the visitors from Norfolk made sure it was a tense finish as they looked to stay in the promotion race themselves.

Hampson put the hosts ahead when he turned the ball into the net after Joe Heron’s effort had been parried by the Yarmouth keeper and he then fired home a Tim Dennis cross for a 2-0 lead.

Yarmouth halved the deficit, but a Luke Goldie-McSorley penalty restored the two-goal advantage following a handball in the box before half-time as Wivenhoe led 3-1 at the break.

Another penalty allowed Hampson to complete his treble in the second-half after a foul on Heron as Wivenhoe took control at 4-1.

However, the Bloaters staged a late fightback, with a goal from the game’s third penalty and then a late third strike closed the gap further, but the Dragons held on for three valuable points.

Yarmouth’s slip saw them drop out of the top three as HALSTEAD TOWN edged into the promotion spots with a 1-0 win at home against King’s Lynn Town Reserves.

In front of a crowd of 152 at Rosemary Lane, the Humbugs secured a 15th win from their last 17 league outings to go above Yarmouth, who do have a game in hand on Halstead.

The game’s decisive moment came in the first half as Marcus Warren fired home from the penalty spot after Joe O’Hare had been brought down in the box.

Halstead were denied a penalty after Jordan Pavett appeared to have been felled in the area in the second half and they had to hold off late pressure from King’s Lynn, but they retained their lead at the end.

In the premier division, STANWAY ROVERS held on to second place with a comfortable 4-0 win at Gorelston, but there were defeats for FC CLACTON and BRANTHAM ATHLETIC.

Aaron Condon scored his 99th goal for FC Clacton, but it came in a losing cause as the Seasiders were beaten 4-1 at Kirkley and Pakefield, while Brantham’s 2-0 loss came at home against Walsham le Willows.