BRENTWOOD'S play-off hopes suffered a blow as they slumped to a third successive defeat at the hands of Wroxham.
The Blues are still handily placed in mid-table with up to eight games in hand on the teams above them, but three defeats in a week have left manager Steve Witherspoon demanding that his side begin to take advantage of the matches at their disposal. The third of those defeats came in Norfolk when they were undone by goals at the end of each half.
It was a tough defeat for the visitors to take as they dominated long spells of the second half, but they were unable to find a way past the home defence. Andy Eastaugh put the home side in front in the third minute of first half stoppage time, the centre-back forcing the ball home from close range following a corner.
And the points were sealed by the home side in the final minute when Ben Thompson got clear of the Blues defence and fired a shot across Richard Wray and in off the far post.
It ended a dismal week for the Blues, who had also slumped to midweek defeats against Cheshunt and leaders Maldon & Tiptree.
At Cheshunt, a game of very few chances was settled by Corey Whitely's 79th-minute strike.
The home side had gone close through David Greene in the first half, while the visitors could have taken the lead through Alex Read and Darren Blewitt, but neither were able to convert, leaving Whitely to seal the points when he scored off the inside of the post.
Two nights later Witherspoon's men were at the mercy of league leaders Maldon & Tiptree, who ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.
Wray had already made a catalogue of saves before Chris Bryan's seventh-minute opener.
Lee Boylan made it two after 13 minutes, and Joe Gardner rounded off a quick breakaway move to make it 3-0 six minutes before the interval. Boylan added a penalty early in the second half, and although Ross Wall pulled one back, Jamie Guy completed the rout a minute from time.