Ridgeons First Division: Diss Town 3 March Town United 0

MARCH Town United’s fantastic away run was finally ended by third-placed Diss Town who completed their league-double over the Hares with a 3-0 win.

Diss thumped March 6-1 at the GER earlier this season and the Hares hopes were hardly helped by the absence of influential skipper Luke Pepper through injury.

However, a six-game winning streak on the road was more than enough to give Jamie Weston’s troops belief ahead of this crunch clash.

The home side took the lead on 30 minutes but added a second on the stroke of half time to knock the stuffing out of March’s game. Diss added one final goal in the closing stages to clinch victory.

Pepper, who travelled to support his team-mates, said: “Diss aren’t a glamorous side, but they’re well organised, they work hard and are a difficult team to break down.

“We didn’t create much and they were very clinical. It’s a hard place to go but we’re still optimistic with a good run of home games coming up that we can keep our promotion hopes alive.”

Pepper’s been ruled out for roughly three weeks after injuring his knee playing for the Hares’ second-string last weekend. He will miss vital home games against Team Bury (Tuesday February 1) and Cambridge Uni Press (Saturday February 5).

He said: “I knew straight away I’d done something when I went in for a 50/50.

“I can run, but I can’t kick a ball which is obviously a problem. I’d love to play but I can’t so I went along to help Jamie (Weston) and do what I could from the sidelines.”

Adam Weston, the brother of Hares boss Jamie, started for March but came off with a toe injury.

Marc Welcher was skipper in Pepper’s absence.