4th August 2023
Thetford Town vs Newmarket Town @ Mundford Road - Thetford
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round (both Step 5)
19:45 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 388
Half-time score: Thetford Town 1-1 Newmarket Town
Goals:
Newmarket Town: Lee - 4'
Thetford Town: King - 25'
Newmarket Town: Foster - 59'
Leigh Simons recorded the goals, see the links below:
Final Score: Thetford Town 1-2 Newmarket Town
Quickly off the back of two good away wins in the league, Thetford Town were entertaining Newmarket Town at Mundford Road in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round, moved to a Friday night to avoid clashing with the adjacent cricket club. In non-league, there is always a buzz around the FA Cup, even in these early stages. This was looking to be an exciting tie for Thetford Town as Newmarket Town look to be a threat this year, having beaten a much fancied Hadleigh United in the league, and causing Step 3 Needham Market all sorts of problems in an absolutely fantastic pre-season friendly that I was lucky enough to have attended, with the higher league side eventually running out 5-3 winners.
I was pleased to see that programmes are back at Thetford Town, this time with an FA Cup special, classic Barnes Print for only £1.
Despite the grim forecast, it was a calm and dry start to the game, although the heavens began to open half-way through the second half, with a couple of lightning flashes on the horizon. Thetford Town were in their home claret and blue, and Newmarket Town were in an away white kit, with black shorts and socks, in front of a packed Mundford Road, the FA Cup certainly still draws in the crowds!
KEY MOMENTS
TT = Thetford Town
NT = Newmarket Town
4' - NT - GOAL (0-1) - Thetford are probing around the Newmarket box but are dispossessed, a long ball is immediately launched forward, splitting the two Thetford defenders, Josh Lee latches onto it, takes it into the box and precisely hits it across Tom Smith and into the far side-netting, brilliant strike to give Newmarket an early lead!
17' - NT - Foster receives the ball in the box, he cuts back to send the Thetford defender the wrong way then powers in a well struck shot, but Money is able to get across in time to make an important block.
18' - TT - From the middle, King chips the ball over the Newmarket back-line, winger Grove looks to be through, but keeper Archer is just able to get there first to put the ball beyond his touch.
25' - TT - GOAL (1-1) - Money turns in the middle of the park to pick up a loose ball, with time he threads a perfect ball to King, who also turns then sweeps the ball into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the area to tie the game, a fine finish.
26' - NT - Conway whips the ball into the box, it misses everyone, but finds Robinson ghosting in at the far post, but his effort is skied over.
28' - TT - King whips a corner ball into the far post, Avis manages to get his head on the ball under some close attention from Archer, but his effort whistles just over the bar.
31' - NT - Ballester-Camacho steals the ball as Thetford try to break, he whips the ball in from the right wing, Josh Lee runs in front of the defense, but from point-blank range his header is somehow powered over the bar.
38' - NT - From inside the box, Cole turns and shoots, but captain Bond is able to block the stinging strike.
41' - TT - Thetford attack down the left wing, Avis is threaded through and just as he is about to shoot the ball is taken out of his path, it rolls on to Laker who prods at the ball, but this is blocked by the scrambling keeper, and ricochets back off him to go out for a goal kick.
48' - NT - A corner ball is not cleared and bobbles around the box, Ashley Walter fires in a strike from the edge of the box, but it travels narrowly wide.
55' - NT - The cleared ball falls down to Ryan Cole, who attempts an audacious strike from 35 yards out, he hits the ball perfectly with his laces and it is fizzing in under the bar, forcing Tom Smith to desperately turn the ball over the bar, almost an unreal goal, what a hit!
59' - NT - GOAL (1-2) - Newmarket recycle a corner ball, the ball is crossed back in, it takes a big deflection off a Thetford defender and loops down to the edge of the box, where mid-stride Foster hits an acrobatic volley that is buried into the bottom left corner of the goal, an outrageous strike to put Newmarket back into the lead.
68' - TT - From a corner position, substitute Gilchrist drives deep into the box, his ball across pings around the box and finds Haylett whose shot from the edge of the area flies just over.
75' - TT - Diggens crosses the ball into the box from the right, Haylett's header is saved well by Archer, but he cannot secure the ball and somehow Thetford are unable to bury the loose ball into the net, huge moment.
76' - TT - Haylett crosses the ball into the near post, Avis is first to the ball and tries to steer the ball in with his first touch, but it is blocked by a covering defender.
84' - NT - Foster finds himself through, this looks to be the moment where Newmarket seal the win, but some great cover by Grove forces him wide and when the shot does come in, Tom Smith had closed down the angle and is able to make a great save to give Thetford a glimmer of hope.
93' - TT - Desperate final moments, a corner ball is whipped in, and as it bobbles about, two separate shots come in, but both are blocked and Newmarket are able to clear, as they cling on to the win, and advance into the next round of the FA Cup.
What a brilliant game that was, a proper FA Cup tie, in a game that was full of big moments, a good atmosphere in the stands and finishing in the driving rain as Thetford desperately searched for an equaliser, but it was Newmarket who held on to take the win, congratulations to them. Both teams went at each other all game, but it was Newmarket Town who came out on top, the acrobatic volley turning out to be the defining moment of the game, and what a finish that was! Newmarket Town look to be a dangerous side this season, the front four look fast, strong and direct, and they were also organised at the back, I'm looking forward to the two league games this season. Looking at Thetford, it is certainly a shame that the FA Cup run has fallen short at the first hurdle again, I was hoping for a small run this year with an away fixture at a new ground, but it was not to be. The team lacked a bit of sharpness today, but overall it was a decent performance, with Newmarket ultimately edging it on the day. Thetford now have over a week to lick their wounds and recuperate ready for an away fixture at Soham Town Rangers, where they will go to try and make it three away league wins on the bounce, we go again, UP THE TOWN!!
Line-Ups:
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Ryan Haylett, Ryan Fuller, Sam Bond (C), Dylan Grove, Kieran Money, Jake Mann, Cameron King, Adam Laker, George Diggens, Shaun Avis. SUBS: Dan Gilchrist, Archie Galley, Harvey Lott, Malachi Wright, Macauley Rodgers.
NEWMARKET TOWN: Alex Archer, Andreu Ballester-Camacho, Adden Tokley, Ashley Walter, Tom Williams (C), Jake Eady, Ben Robinson, Ryan Cole, Josh Lee, Alistair Conway, Jordan Foster. SUBS: Matty Hayden, Oscar Dean, Jacob Mingay, Callum Chambers-Shaw, Clinton Frank, James Chivers, Ben Newton.
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