A rather cagey first period burst to life on the half hour mark, Stephen Taylor nodding in Remy Gordon’s ball in to give Wroxham the lead, before Ryan Hawkins lifted the ball over Elliot Pride in style to level matters 90 seconds later.

Dereham looked the more likely in a similarly tight second half – with Pride denying Hawkins and Craig Bussens before the latter was taken off with an innocuous looking injury – before Remy Gordon headed home on 75 minutes out of nothing.

And as Dereham pressed for a retort, Wroxham capitalised on the space at the back to break and score through Christy Finch in injury time to seal the win.

The game was nip and tuck for much of the contest, with Dereham arguably the better side in the second period, but as has been the case for much of the season, Wroxham’s clinical nature in front of goal paid dividends once again.

Stewart Larter named an unchanged side from the one that disposed of Norwich United in the Senior Cup, with Nathan Stone replacing Kyle Baker on the bench in the only difference in the squad.

Both sides were feeling their opponents out in the opening exchanges, with Dereham arguably starting the more positive.

Aaron Kay had a 4th minute free kick that rebounded off the wall and away, before Ryan Hawkins released Liam Wales down the Wroxham left in a dangerous looking attack, only for Andy Howell to snuff out any danger.

A clever effort from Craig Bussens drew the first save of the encounter, the winger backheeling Frazer Blake-Tracy’s 12th minute free kick towards goal, only for Elliot Pride to pluck the effort out of the air with ease.

The Yachtsmen were struggling to create any sort of attacking play to trouble Dereham, with a Remy Gordon free kick that was flapped at by Andrew Wilton the best they could muster in a cagey first 15.

Some slick play down the right on 19 minutes finally gave The Yachtsmen their first opening, with neat play from Jack Garrod and David Hinton releasing Stephen Taylor down the wing, his cross finding Christy Finch who could only scuff his effort wide of Wilton, with Gordon unable to benefit at the back post.

Wroxham’s best play was coming down the right channel, with the runs of Taylor causing problems for Blake-Tracy every time he advanced over the half way line.

And he was in the thick of it on the half hour mark as he leapt highest to give his side the lead.

A Gordon corner was cleared before finding it’s way back to the winger, who whipped in a lovely deep cross that found the Wroxham full back unmarked at the back post to head home.

This joy was short lived however as Dereham responded in kind, Ryan Hawkins bagging his fourth goal in as any games against Wroxham two minutes later.

Ben Price was dispossessed in his own half to spark a Dereham counter attack, the ball finding its way to Hawkins via a Wales’ flick in the inside left position, the winger keeping his cool to lift the ball over the advancing Pride and in.

This seemed to give The Magpies a morale boost as they began to push on in search of another, but they couldn’t make their possession pay in terms of clear cut chances.

A sliced effort wide on 38 minutes from Kay was the best they could create, with Andy Wilton losing his footing down the other end as Gordon’s lofted ball in suddenly looked dangerous, with the ‘keeper regaining his footing to gratefully clutch the ball out of the air.

The second half started in a very subdued manner – with neither side able to gain any sort of ascendancy – before Dereham began to push their foot onto the accelerator just before the hour mark.

A Hawkins’ free kick deceived everybody on 55 minutes, with three Dereham players waiting unchallenged at the back post, with none of them able to make a meaningful contact.

Sam Borrer then had a clever effort that he lofted just over the bar from eight yards, before Hawkins was in the thick of it on the hour, the winger firing a bobbling effort that Pride spilt with Bussens lurking, the goalkeeper recovering superbly to block the Dereham man’s follow up effort.

Sadly, this would be the last contribution from the winger, who was stretchered off on 65 minutes after a rather innocuous coming together with Howell and seemingly falling awkwardly, with Luke Tuttle taking his place.

Tuttle was almost straight into the action, curling a 67th minute free kick just over the bar after Gordon was penalised for a high foot, before the Wroxham winger was in play down the right end of the pitch to give retake the lead for his side out of nothing.

Some industrious play from Finch on 75 minutes created space down the left for the striker to send in a superb cross, the ball dipping over the helpless Wilton for Gordon to nod in from practically on the line.

A spate of fouls created a stop-start tempo, which worked in Wroxham’s favour as they looked to close the game out.

And with Dereham pressing for an equaliser, they left themselves exposed at the back, with The Yachtsmen taking advantage with a swift third in injury time, Nathan Stone bursting down the left to draw the defender in before squaring to Finch, the striker slamming home to complete the win and deal a severe blow to their rivals play-off hopes, whilst consolidating theirs.

Wroxham: Pride, Taylor, Price, Hinton, Howell, Halliday, Garrod (Swatman 89’), White (King 86’), Forshaw (Stone 89’), Finch, Gordon

Subs: Swatman, Guyton, King, Stone, Rust

Cautions: Taylor 54’, Hinton 80’

Dereham Town: Wilton, Willis, Blake-Tracy (Wallace 82’), Hockley, Barker, Morphew, Kay (Clunan 56’), Borrer, Wales, Hawkins, Bussens (Tuttle 66’)

Subs: Bailey, Clunan, Sturman, Tuttle, Wallace

Attendance: 304

Referee: Darren Stobart