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Despite a good return match by goalkeeper Michael Hilton after his pre-season injury, even his athleticism was unable to keep an eager Clacton side out for the whole game and the home side celebrated a last-gasp winner, in much the same way that Yarmouth did their similarly late equaliser against Raunds. 

“We just weren’t at the races,” declared a disappointed Paul Tong, the Yarmouth manager, after watching his side defend for long periods of the game. “It was nothing more than they deserved, though. We only had two real chances, and just didn’t work their ‘keeper.” 

Clacton were profligate with their many openings and the home crowd despaired of seeing their team score. But score they eventually did, two minutes into added time, when Mark White beat Hilton to a cross and slipped the ball over Hilton’s head into the top corner. 

The conditions played a part and Clacton adapted better to a dry surface and the strong breeze blowing down the pitch. Yarmouth were often hurried into huge clearances that came straight back at them, and they could not get their passing game going. 

“It’s early days yet, and its not how you start the season it’s, how you finish,” said Tong, “but we need to start getting some more points on the board. There will be tougher games than this so we’ll have to dig in and be patient. 

“We did pick up a couple of knocks and Marcus Saunders was feeling ill but he stayed on for an hour or so. It was very disappointing, especially after having played so well in midweek.” 

The two chances Tong referred to were a Jake Reed shot that hit the bar having beaten ‘keeper Darren Gould on the stroke of half time, and substitute Liam Bartley losing out in a one-on-one with Gould in the second half. 

Hilton was the saviour on several occasions: on 18 minutes, his dive diverted a goal-bound shot for a corner; in the second half he raced out of his area to successfully challenge a Clacton striker, and he then made a tremendous save at the expense of a corner, tipping a shot over the bar. On 81 minutes, he saved what looked a certain goal with his feet. So, encouragement for Tong there. As there was with the continued development of Reed into a busy, bustling centre-forward. 

But until the team can get some consistency into their games, the season will continue to be a roller-coaster ride. 

Team – M Hilton, A Darby, O Savage, C Roberts, A Ager, M Saunders (B Junior  65), A Sewell, M Magee (S Roach 79), J Reed, S Woodcock (L Bartley 59), D Smith. Unused sub: V Formoso.

Referee – Derren Haynes (Ipswich)

Attendance - 126