Brantham Athletic slumped to their sixth defeat in a row, failing to score in five of their half dozen matches in 2024, as they went down 1-0 at home to league leaders Mildenhall.

A goal two minutes before the break from Mildenhall skipper Luke Butcher was enough to see off the Imps who defended stoutly but offered little in return.

Finn Shorten helped keep the visitors at bay but Brantham scoring just once, while conceding 14 in this calendar year tells its own story.

Brantham have failed to score since the likes of Kai Fletcher and Jack Taylor left the club, rocked by allegations of a wage dispute, while effective teenage striker Reece Josselyn has not featured for weeks either.

As well as league defeats they were dumped out of the League Challenge Cup by lower division side Harlow Town, since parting company with Pip Boyland and Alex Drennan.

The new look Brantham side was managed by interims Steff Mallardo and Duncan Lawson along with physio Kirk Denim until the new management duo of Jack Sibbons and Tom Austin come in towards the end of the season in April.

The Imps go to fellow strugglers Long Melford on Wednesday.