Godmanchester Rovers dropped to third in the Premier Division of the Eastern Counties League on Saturday, giving up the only automatic promotion slot to Haverhill Rovers.

A 2-0 loss at home to mid-table side Felixstowe & Walton United was Godmanchester’s first game of the year but followed a draw and a loss over Christmas and Haverhill’s 2-1 win over Newmarket Town saw the Suffolk side go above Nev Nania and David Hurst’s side.

“We should have buried them really,” said Nania. “We had three or four pretty good chances and a couple of clear cut ones. It could have been the case that on another day we scored six or seven but we got beaten 2-0.”

Jamie Blackwell and James Hall both skewed great chances wide while there were further chances in a scrappy first half that the home side just edged. However, just minutes into the second half, Carl Foreman gave up possession on the edge of the Godmanchester box, Goddy were hit on the break, and the Felixstowe captain Ben Cranfield made it 1-0. It was the same player who scored the visitors’ second goal when Rob Mackney spilt a shot into the player’s path.

Hadleigh United remain clear at the top of the table but cannot be promoted to Step 4 because they haven’t applied. Haverhill, who have applied, are now three points clear of Goddy in second.

“You always have a blip in every season,” said Nania. “But we cannot afford to lose anymore now.

“We have got the players – it is just a question of those players putting the ball in the back of the net.”

In the Premier Division of the Southern League, St Neots were hit by a 90th-minute Will Spetch goal at The Cozy Stadium to cancel out Lewis Hilliard’s 27-minute opener.

Jon Stead scored first in St Ives Town’s 2-1 loss at Dunstable Town in Division One Central.

Huntingdon Town were without a game in the Premier Division of the United Counties League but gave run-outs to many of the club’s first teamers in their reserve team’s 3-2 win at home to ON Chenecks Reserves.

Eynesbury Rovers and St Neots Town Youth & Saints were both without a game in Division One with a victory for Harrowby United seeing them move above Eynesbury into second place.