Brandon recorded an excellent 2-1 victory at Kirkley and Pakefield Reserves to give themselves a timely boost in their battle to move up the Anglian Combination Premier Division table.

Town are still second from bottom, but are just three points adrift of the side they beat. They will now be aiming to build on this victory when they travel to take on mid-table Spixworth on Saturday.

Brandon made the long trip minus several key players but were boosted by the return of Shane Leech and Brandon boy Tony Wright.

Joe Clements was in goal after his permanent switch from Stowmarket.

Town were worried that they might be sluggish after the weather enforced break, but the hard work on the cold training nights had kept them sharp enough to take all the points from their relegation rivals.

Brandon started like a train, constantly pushing and probing. Kirkley couldn’t cope and Wright was causing the defence all sorts of problems. It came as no surprise when Town finally broke the deadlock when a good passing move between Leech, Sobiechowski and Bland saw the latter’s pin-point cross perfectly met by Wright, who had timed his run to perfection to nip in front of the keeper and nod in.

Town continued to dominate and could have had a couple of penalties, one when Wright’s powerful run saw him upended in the box, and another after Sobiechowski’s trickery earned a free-kick right on the edge of the box, despite looking inside it.

Brandon made it 2-0 moments later when Sobiechowski’s drilled free-kick was powerfully headed home by captain Daley Tuffs, giving the keeper no chance. Kirkley then got back in the game when a forward ghosted in unmarked to beat Clements.

The second half proved to be a real battle, but the Town back line of Butcher, Johnstone, Tuffs and Field rarely looked too troubled. Clements did make one fantastic save to keep Brandon in front, but the visitors always looked more likely to increase the scoring.

This was a superb win for Brandon, in which they showed that they can play as good a game of football as anyone in this league on their day.

The reserves lost 4-2 at home to Poringland. On Saturday they are away to Buxton.