Framlingham Town were heading through to the first round proper of the FA Vase, until they were hit by a double whammy late on at Swaffham Town’s Shoemakers Lane. The original tie had ended goalless at Badingham Road on Saturday, but the Castlemen looked to have the edge in Norfolk and defender James Mayhew netted a 31st minute opener to put the Suffolk visitors in charge. Swaffham left it late to equalise, with Joe Jackson heading firmly home from an 84th minute free-kick and they left it even later to sneak the winner, Alex Vincent sweeping home the loose ball in the first minute of stoppage time after keeper Gary Rose had blocked the initial shot by Jackson. It was heart-break for the Castlemen, who in the end came up just short losing 2-1. Swaffham had enjoyed a bright start to their Thurlow Nunn Division One North campaign, with five wins from seven matches, and they created the first chance of the night when Vincent’s deft-little chip was plucked out of the air by Rose.
There was a pause in play while a sleek grey cat trotted casually across the middle of the pitch – not something you see every-day – before the Castlemen’s first goal-attempt, fired in by Max Willett on 15 minutes before Danny Smith squandered a gilt-edged chance on 18 minutes.
The visitors earned a flurry of corners around the half-hour mark, and it was from the last of these that they broke the deadlock, Mayhew steering home from Ant Johnson’s powerful header at the far post. It was so nearly 2-0 just before the break, but lively winger Sine Rodriguez’s rising shot rattled the top of the near upright, in first-half stoppage time.
The hosts were fortunate not to concede again, just before the hour mark, as midfielder Matt Aldis’ header flashed a foot wide of target, while Alex Ling blasted high and wide from an excellent position on 82 minutes. And they were made to pay for these missed chances as Jackson and Vincent netted late on to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat blocked by keeper Aaron Watson.

FRAMLINGHAM: Rose, Poacher, Smith, Aldis (sub Brooks, 87), Johnson, Mayhew, Rodriguez (sub Sprague, 66), Thorpe, Smith, Ling, Willett. Unused subs: Abraham, Milbourne, Chapman,
Report by Carl Marston