21st September 2024
Thetford Town vs Swaffham Town @ Mundford Road - Thetford
FA Vase Second Qualifying Round (Step 5 vs Step 6)
15:00 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 90
Half-time score: Thetford Town 1-0 Swaffham Town
Goals:
Thetford Town: Olpin - 42'
Swaffham Town: Malin - 54'(P)
Thetford Town: Bond - 80'
Thetford Town: Olpin - 96'
Final Score: Thetford Town 3-1 Swaffham Town
Today's game pitted two Breckland sides against each other in the famous FA Vase competition, as Thetford Town hosted Swaffham Town, this being a 2nd qualifying round game but the first FA Vase game for both teams as they received a bye past the first qualification round. On a paper, an easy victory for Thetford Town, a team who sit near the top of the Thurlow Nunn Premier, where in contrast Swaffham Town are a division below in the Thurlow Nunn D1 North and are currently rock bottom with a goal difference of -28 after 10 games. However, following Thetford Town's defeat to lower level Diss Town in the Norfolk Cup last season, I knew the team would not take their opponents lightly this afternoon, but if they were to get anywhere near the level of their 1st half performance last week, Thetford would surely be marching into the First Round Proper.
This game saw the debut of a new flag, I have been mulling this one over for a few months, but having seen a few flags at Stowmarket Town, and talking to the chairman, the decision was made to stop dithering and get it. Looking forward to taking this to the rest of the home and away games this season, UTT!!!
Today's programme had Kieran Money on the front cover, the heartbeat of the Thetford Town midfield.
It was yet another beautifully sunny afternoon at Mundford Road, and the pitch was looking stunning. Onto this carpet, Thetford Town came out in their home claret & blue, with Swaffham Town in their home shirt of black and white stripes.
KEY MOMENTS
TT = Thetford Town
ST = Swaffham Town
6' - TT - Early chance for Thetford, Laker down the left wing fires in a shot from a wide angle, it is arrowing into the top left corner but Wilson turns it out for a corner.
13' - TT - Laker tries to curl an effort in, but it is just wide of the far post.
42' - TT - GOAL (1-0) - Thetford finally break through the black and white defensive wall, Harvey Lott lays Olpin up on the edge of the box, he takes a touch, picks his spot and squeezes it through the traffic and past the diving Wilson, fantastic finish.
45'+4' - TT - A ball is crossed into the box, Gilchrist is unable to control it but it spins out to Elliot Smith, but unfortunately the shot is scuffed allowing Wilson to make a comfortable save.
54' - ST - PENALTY & GOAL (1-1) - Manu finally beats the offside trap and is through alone on goal, just as he shoots captain Sam Bond slides across to block, the ball deflecting out for a corner. From this corner, Manu has the ball just inside the box and crumples like a paper bag after a light tug from Elliot Smith. The referee points to the spot, Josh Malin steps up and the blasts the ball beyond Dickerson, despite diving the correct way, was no stopping that one, game on!
60' - TT - A brilliant pinpoint cross from Harvey Lott picks out Diggens, alone on the penalty spot he strikes the ball first time as it dipped into his feet, but leaning back his effort blazes over the bar, almost a cracker of a goal.
79' - TT - A firm strike by Olpin from outside the box is palmed away by Wilson for a corner.
80' - TT - GOAL (2-1) - From this corner, the ball finds the Thetford captain on the edge of the box, his first stabbed effort rolls back to him, Bondy lines the ball up, puts his laces through and it zips across the keeper and into the net, a finish anyone would be proud of, the skipper leading from the front, what a deserved goal!!
87' - TT - An Olpin outswinger of a corner curls to the far-post, Elliot Smith leaps like a salmon and heads the ball towards goal, but it is a whisker over the bar, so close!
94' - ST - Almost disaster for Thetford in the dying moments, mix-up at the back gives Swaffham a sniff of the goal, the ball finds substitute Farhan Raja, his effort is heading in, but out of nowhere a Thetford Town legend in Sam Bond skids across to block the shot on the line, to stop the game going to penalties, unreal!
96' - TT - GOAL (3-1) - As Swaffham push up to score, Thetford break through Diggens down the right, supported by Olpin and all alone the ball is squared back and Olpin powers the ball into the roof of the net from close range, and therefore ensuring Thetford's passage into the 1st Round Proper of the FA Vase, phew!
Let's be honest, that game was always going to be like that, it was a cup game after all. Swaffham sat back for most of the game, hoping to hit Thetford on the break through Jesse Manu, and to be fair it nearly paid off. Thetford struggled to break down the organised defensive unit, taking them 42 minutes to break the deadlock. From there everyone assumed Thetford would run away as Swaffham pushed forward, but they won and converted a penalty to panic the hosts and show they weren't going to lay down. Chances came in but Swaffham were resolute until Bondy scored a fantastic goal, but this was almost undone at the end, but the captain did not want to see his goal cancelled out and was superhuman in getting across to block the ball on the line, performance of the day for sure from the club stalwart! Olpin's breakaway goal put the game to bed, but that was not easy, and Swaffham made their Breckland counterparts work hard for that one! I hope Swaffham Town are able to turn their season around soon and lift themselves out of the relegation zone, and hopefully this performance can be catalyst. For Thetford Town the 1st Round Proper awaits, I am hoping to draw a side from another league to make things interesting. The cup fun also carries on this coming Tuesday night as the lads travel to Lakenheath for the Challenge Cup, let's keep the momentum going, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
THETFORD TOWN: Ryan Dickerson, Josh Wells, Jaydyn Lott, Adam Laker, Sam Bond (C), Malachi Wright, Elliot Smith, Callum Olpin, George Diggens, Harvey Lott, Dan Gilchrist. SUBS: Jake Mann, Marley Reynolds, Dylan Grove, Kieran Money.
SWAFFHAM TOWN: Jordi Wilson, Allan Said, Freddie Hailstone-Todd, Josh Overland, Josh Malin, Chas Curtis, Sead Zeneli, Charlie Lambe, Jesse Manu, James Karanicolas (C), Joe Minns. SUBS: Farhan Raja, Ika Kortua, Lewis Malin, Alex Mesesan, Chez Rust.
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