Swaffham Town's promotion hopes suffered a serious blow on Saturday.
The Pedlars hosted promotion rivals Halstead Town and were beaten 1-0 to slip to fifth in the Thurlow Nunn Division One table.
With most of the teams at the top end now starting to make up their games in hand, this Saturday's visit of leaders Whitton United to Shoemakers Lane (3pm kick-off) will be crucial.
If the Pedlars can pull off a shock result against a team who have lost just once in the league this season, then reducing the current five-point gap to the promotion places will not look as unlikely.
But it was a disappointing result for the Pedlars against Halstead on Saturday, as they should have at least shared the points.
The Essex side proved very direct and thwarted Swaffham's attractive style to eventually benefit from one of their only efforts on goal.
In the 22nd minute Jake Platten was beaten on the left side and the Halstead winger created just enough space to fire across home keeper Lee Brooks, with the pace of the shot too much for the diving outstretched hand.
In reply Swaffham were unlucky not to equalise just moments later when captain Dean Miller's header was cleared from the line, before Alex Vincent rattled the bar from a free-kick 25 yards out, leaving the Halstead keeper completely beaten.
There was similar luck in the second half for the Pedlars, despite their best efforts.
Joe Jackson and Jack Redhead replaced Mark Allibone and Michael Thompson, but the elusive equaliser never came, even hitting the woodwork again in the final 10 minutes when Matthew Castellan headed from 12 yards from a Redhead corner.
Vincent then performed a spectacular volley from 18 yards, rocketing goalwards but straight at the keeper.
With Ipswich Wanderers winning 1-0 at Debeham, the loss saw Swaffham slip to fifth.
- Swaffham have also had to postpone the club's annual sportsperson's dinner.
Club secretary, Ray Ewart, said: 'Regrettably the sportsperson's dinner, through unforeseen circumstances, had to be postponed.
'The club will attempt to re-schedule this year's later in the year, please watch this space for confirmation of the date.'
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