High-flying Heacham brought down to earth by struggling FC Parson Drove
Ten-man Heacham produced a defensive horror show as struggling FC Parson Drove recorded a 3-0 victory at the Heacham Sports Field.
Kyial West scored twice for Drove as Heacham were knocked off the top of the First Division North table by virtue of Framlingham's 4-0 home win over Needham Under-23s.
The Magpies were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time following a moment of petulance from home midfielder Alex Clunan.
There couldn't have been two sets of more contrasting form coming into this afternoon's encounter.
The free-scoring Magpies had taken a possible 15 points from their last six fixtures while Drove had picked up just three from the same amount of games and were without a league win this month.
Heacham started with their tails up as Fletcher Toll was denied by Max Flintoff and a Clunan free-kick from the right just failed to find John Flanagan at the far post.
The early home pressure continued as Nathan Davies found Toll who picked his spot only to be denied by Flintoff who flung himself to his right to keep the score goalless.
Despite a lightning start from the Magpies it was Drove who took the lead in the 11th minute as Kyial West scored with his second attempt as the hosts failed to clear their lines.
Heacham responded as a Jack Frohawk corner was headed on by Toll and the ball whistled wide of the post before Flanagan curled an effort wide of the target after a fine solo run.
It only seemed a matter of time before Heacham were back on level terms but battling Drove had other ideas as their doubled their advantage 13 minutes before the break.
The Magpies were caught cold by a long ball over the top and Waumsley had the visitors in ecstasy as he chipped over former Drove goalkeeper Aaron Watson to put Aaron Duke's side 2-0 in front.
Heacham's Kieran Shipp then came to his side's rescue as he blocked a Waumsley shot in the box after Jay Chima lost his footing on the edge of the area.
A measure of the home side's frustration was all too apparent on the stroke of half-time as Clunan was sent-off for a clear headbutt on Taylor Harrison on the near touchline.
It left the Magpies, who made a triple change at the interval, with 10 men for the second 45 minutes.
Luke Gray, Paulius Falcao and Lewis Gibson were all introduced at the expense of Matt Goss, Frohawk and Davies as the league leaders tried to find a way back into the contest.
The fingertips of Watson denied Thomas Kendrick at the start of the half as Drove looked to make their one-man advantage count further.
Watson then saved well from West before the visiting forward headed the resulting corner over the crossbar.
A curling shot from Brody Warren then came back off the woodwork as the Cambridgeshire outfit continued to carve out the better opportunities in front of goal.
Drove wrapped the game up 20 minutes from the full-time whistle as West found the back of the net for his second of the afternoon despite the best efforts of a home defender.
The impressive Waumsley was denied his second by a flying save from Watson in the dying stages and there was still time for substitute Josh Gear to drill a shot across the face of goal as Drove ended the game well on top.
It was the first time Heacham had failed to score on home soil this season since the opening-day defeat to Framlingham.
Heacham: Watson, Akers, Chima, Clunan, Rawlings, Frohawk (Gibson 46), Goss (Falcao 46), Toll, Davies (Gray 46), Shipp, Flanagan.
FC Parson Drove: Flintoft, Haggert-King, Calvert, Brown, Miller, Kendrick, Warren (Gear 85) Weaver-Pope, West (Baker 77), Taylor, Waumsley.