Diss Town ship seven during Thurlow Nunn League First Division North trip to AFC Sudbury Reserves

Diss Town suffered a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of hosting AFC Sudbury Reserves on Saturday – a result that marked the end of Jon Abbott’s year-long tenure as manager.

Despite losing Ryan Fuller to a red card before the break, the Tangerines appeared to be well in the game at half-time with the scoreline level at a goal apiece.

However, a horror show of a second half saw the visitors well beaten, and inflicted a fifth straight Thurlow Nunn League First Division North defeat in the process.

Diss started well and in the 24th minute they thought they had taken the lead through a Charlie Webb header, but the ball was adjudged to have not crossed the line.

And within three minutes, the away side fell behind when Matt Woldridge’s glancing header got the better of George MacRae in the Diss goal.

Things then got worse for Diss as Fuller was handed his marching orders for a foul, but they nevertheless equalised just before the interval when Ryan Swift’s cross was forced home by Owen Betts.

But that was as good as it got for Diss, with things duly unravelling during the second half.

Sudbury went ahead in the 49th minute when the ball was played into the near post for Ethan Mayhew to round MacRae and shoot in from an acute angle.

Mayhew scored again in the 61st minute with a left-foot shot into the roof of the net after a fine move.

The Diss defence were static as Joe Morris moved on to a long throughball four minutes later to walk through and shoot in.

Up the other end Betts forced another save from the impressive Josh Blunkell, but three goals in five minutes late in the game completed the scoring.

Mayhew used the space that he was given to send a 25-yard left foot shot into the top corner. Jake Banyard, in the 87th minute, with a 20-yard right foot shot was the next to successfully try his luck from distance. The final goal had more than a shade of fortune about it; Matt Aldis made a fine challenge on the edge of the penalty area but the ball flew into the net off Morris to compound Diss’ misery.

Diss (9th) will aim to stop the poor form on Saturday when they travel to face King’s Lynn Town Reserves (3pm).

* There was much more positive news for Diss Town Reserves, who ran out 5-0 winners against their Cornard United counterparts in the Thurlow Nunn Reserve League.

Jake McDowall (2), Matt Rich, Stacey Payne and Artur Leszcynski all found the back of the net for the third-placed side.

The reserves will be back in action on Saturday with a home game against 12th-placed Holland Reserves at Brewers Green Lane (3pm).

* League-leading Diss Town Under-18s returned to league action after an eight week break and drew 1-1 with a Gorleston Under-18s last Thursday.

Despite dropping two points, the Tangerines remain one point ahead of Great Yarmouth Under-18s at the Thurlow Nunn Youth League East summit.

Diss scored the only goal of the first half in the 41st minute when Jensen Martin reacted quickest to turn the ball in from close range after Ewan Chamberlain had struck the crossbar, but the visitors equalised in the second half through Daniel Johnstone.