Two first-half goals gave Maldon & Tiptree a facile victory at Trafford Park as Wroxham dropped to within one point of the Ryman League North relegation zone.

Their cause was not helped by Waltham Abbey's shock 2-0 win at leaders AFC Sudbury.

Wroxham made one change to the side that won 2-1 away at Phoenix Sports the previous weekend, with Sam Harty coming in for Michael Sommerfield who was on the bench. Lewis Sturman returned to the squad and took up a place on the bench.

The visitors started the game on the front foot but a weak shot from Kieran Monlouis from the edge of the area didn't trouble Elliot Pride in the Wroxham goal.

Maldon keeper Steve Phillips was then called into action, parrying away a low shot from Jamie Forshaw after being teed up by Jack Garrod.

On 16 minutes the Yachtsmen found themselves a goal down. Rhys Henry's pass through the defence saw Billy Roast get on the end of it before smashing the ball into the back of the net from six yards to make it 1-0.

Wroxham were finding themselves up against it as the visitors dominated the ball. Ten minutes later Jordan King picked up the first yellow card of the game for a foul midway inside the Wroxham half.

The home side then very nearly had a stroke of luck. Stephen Taylor's cross from just inside the Maldon half saw the ball picked up by the wind as it changed direction, the ball nearly crept in to the top right-hand corner of the goal only for Phillips to catch the ball.

With 10 minutes of the half left to play the visitors doubled their lead. Monlouis showed some good skill on the right-hand side and the former Charlton and Stoke player played a teasing ball across the six-yard box to Henry who poked the ball in from close range to make it 2-0.

It almost became worse for the home side five minutes later but Pride forced to rushed out to clear a long ball from Roast. In the last few moments of the half, David Hinton's cross from the left was cleared at the back post by Ben Wyatt in what was the last action of the first half.

It was a homecoming of sorts for Wyatt, who won the FA Youth Cup with Norwich City in 2013 and went on to play for Ipswich Town, before being released last summer.

Forshaw was replaced by winger Tom Cullumbine at half-time and the Yachtsmen started the second half with more gusto. Five minutes into the half Garrod was offside as he chased after a Nick Davey through-ball and David Hinton took a free-kick from the right which Sam Harty headed just over the bar. Garrod then found space around 25 yards out but his shot was pulled just wide of the left-hand post.

On the hour Jordan King was replaced by Joel Potter to try and add a bit more creativity going forward. Potter was involved immediately as his cross from the left was cleared by Moore-Azille at the near post. The away side then countered quickly, as Darren McQueen found himself with a lot of space inside the Wroxham half to pick out Henry on the edge of the area, however his powerful shot was fantastically blocked by Nick Bailey.

Tarryn Allarakhia then went close for the visitors as his body feint fooled the defender before his curling shot from the left went well wide of the Wroxham goal. Sam Newson then took a shot from around 30 yards but the ball was blasted over the bar as Maldon looked to step up the pace.

The two best chances for further goals came in the final 10 minutes of the game. McQueen's cross from the right was met by the head of Moore-Azille but the full-back failed to convert and his header went a couple of yards wide of the left post.

Wroxham then had a chance to pull one back when Stephen Taylor's cross from the right was met by Davey but his glancing header just went wide of the left-hand upright. The final shot of the game went to Maldon as the impressive Monlouis's shot from the edge of the area was rifled over the bar.

The Yachtsmen travel to Essex today to take on seventh-placed Brightlingsea Regent, as they try to keep themselves away from relegation trouble.

Wroxham: Elliot Pride, Stephen Taylor, Nick Bailey, Jordan King (Joel Potter, 59), Aarron Taylor, Matt Halliday, Jack Garrod, Sam Harty, Nick Davey, Jamie Forshaw (Tom Cullumbine, 46), David Hinton. Subs: Joel Potter, Tom Cullumbine, Michael Sommerfield, Lewis Sturman.

Maldon & Tiptree: Steve Phillips, Tarik Moore-Azille, Ben Wyatt, Billy Roast, Gavin Greenfield, Curtis Haynes-Brown, Tarryn Allarakhia (Adam Mills, 82), Kieran Monlouis, Sam Newson (David Levey, 74), Rhys Henry, Darren McQueen. Subs; Adam Mills, David Levey, Cemal Ramadan.

Attendance: 158