14th December 2024
White Ensign vs Thetford Town @ Burroughs Park - Great Wakering
FA Vase Third Round (both Step 5)
15:00 KO
£10 entry
Attendance - TBA
Half-time score: White Ensign 3-1 Thetford Town
Goals:
White Ensign: Evans - 23'
White Ensign: Devereux - 34'
White Ensign: Kateley - 39'
Thetford Town: Buttle - 44'
Thetford Town: Diggens - 51'
Thetford Town: King - 72'
White Ensign: Jacobi - 91'
Final Score: White Ensign 4-3 Thetford Town
With Storm Darragh scuppering the go-ahead of this game last weekend, the anticipation was palpable. With a better weather forecast, the Thetford town players, staff and fans were confident that they would be getting further than the A14 by Rougham, so spirits were high! Thetford Town were travelling to the South Eastern tip of Essex, beyond Southend-on-Sea in the village of Great Wakering, where White Ensign have a ground share with last years FA Vase finalists, Great Wakering Rovers, so a venue with strong recent pedigree. White Ensign ply their trade in the neighbouring Essex Senior League, the same level as the Thurlow Nunn Premier, and are currently mid-table, but having recently beaten last years FA Vase winners Romford FC 3-1 away from home. This is not White Ensign's first time hosting an Eastern Counties team this year, having been defeated 3-1 by Brantham Athletic in the FA Cup back in August, so hopefully this was a trend that was to continue.
On the way in entry fee was on the pricey side for this level at £10 but I also picked up a matchday programme for an additional £2, with it being full colour and glossy, not bad at all.
Being in a new ground, I soon learned that the entrance to the bar was back through the entrance, hence the stamp on the hand. With drink in hand I headed back into the ground and to the food hut for a classic footie cheeseburger, £4.50 from what I recall, decent burger and filled me up for the day.
The pitch looked decent on first inspection, flat and with the grass a respectable length, but did cut up a bit during play causing a few bobbles in the game, which was no surprise with the recent wet weather. Onto the pitch, both teams lined-up, with White Ensign in all red and Thetford Town in their away mint green. Before kick-off, a minutes silence was held in honour of Oscar Fairs, a young West Ham goalkeeper with links to White Ensign, who sadly recently lost his battle with cancer.
KEY MOMENTS
WE = White Ensign
TT = Thetford Town
22' - TT - Deft chip over by Jake Mann finds Grove, but under pressure he fires over the bar.
23' - WE - GOAL (1-0) - King looks to be fouled but referee waves play-on and White Ensign strike quickly down the left through Kateley, he evades two challenges to get to the by-line where he squares across the goal to Evans who powers in from close-range.
26' - TT - Thetford attack down the left, ball over the top to release Laker, on the bounce he tries to chip the keeper but his effort is narrowly over, nestling into the top of the net.
34' - WE - GOAL (2-0) - Fast precise break from White Ensign down the left, crisp passing from Kateley to Evans then to Devereux, and through on goal he drills the ball in, awful start from Thetford!
37' - TT - Diggens down the left, squares the ball in, amongst the tangle the ball breaks to King, he is about to pull the trigger but is clattered in the back and goes down, but the referee is unmoved.
39' - WE - GOAL (3-0) - Disaster strikes, White Ensign have a free-kick in the middle of the park, it is pinged out to the left side of the box, it evades the Thetford defence and Kateley ghosts in and lashes in his strike from a tight angle, a long way back from here!
42' - TT - Gilchrist plays a classic short corner to King, he turns and drives into the box before powering in a strike which is deflected wide for another corner.
43' - TT - Gilchrist has a dig from the edge of the box, heading for the bottom left corner but keeper is down well to make the save.
44' - TT - GOAL (3-1) - Important time to pull one back for Thetford Town. Great work by Buttle down the right, he battles hard and runs across to a shooting position where he hits another left-footed stunner, the ball looping over the keeper and into the net, Thetford with a glimmer of hope!
51'- TT - GOAL (3-2) - Thetford with a quick 2nd goal after the interval, long-ball pumped forward for Grove to run on to, he beats the defenders and bursts through on goal, unselfishly squaring the ball back to the open Diggens who slots the ball in, could the comeback be on?
56' - TT - Gilchrist and King link-up down the right, they find Buttle in a good position and he shoots but his wild effort flies over the bar.
72' - TT - GOAL (3-3) - Thetford restore parity against the odds! Thetford attack down the left, the ball evades everyone but it is picked up beyond the far-post, it is drilled back into the danger area, efforts fly in, ball blocked off the line and King wins a goalmouth scramble to smash the ball into the onion bag, will someone else score or will the game go to penalties?
78' - TT - Gilchrist turns and shoots from the edge of the box, its heading into the bottom right corner but the keeper is down well to make the stop and collect the ball.
81' - TT - Thetford pressing hard, White Ensign clear, ball smashes into Sargent's head and looks to be heading in for a moment, but it goes just wide.
91' - WE - GOAL (4-3) - An absolute worldie from youngster Jacobi to win the game for the hosts. On from the bench, he picks up the ball on the left-flank and from 25yards out hits a lightning bolt of an effort across Dickerson and into the inside netting, what a way to send White Ensign through into the next round!
After a poor opening 40mins from Thetford Town I was convinced we were out, another goal from White Ensign would have killed it off for sure. However, Thetford done brilliantly well to up their game, with Buttle scoring an all important goal just before the break. After making some tactical changes, Thetford began the 2nd half as they ended the first, and on the front foot they quickly bagged the 2nd, and kept plugging away until they equalised. With around 20mins still on the board, and with the momentum fully swinging in Thetford's favour, a memorable comeback win felt on, but they were unable to capitalise and substitute Taylor Jacobi scored a stunner to seal an incredible game. From the initial lows, to the highs and belief that we could pull off the turnaround, losing to such a goal did not feel too bad, it was a roller coaster of a game and that was a fitting way to end it, and I wish White Ensign the best of luck in the 4th Round as they host Erith & Belvedere. Of course I would have preferred Thetford Town to have scored, but it was not to be and White Ensign done well to see out the final 5 minutes of stoppage time, ending Thetford's dreams of Wembley. Thetford need to reflect on the opening to this game but take huge confidence in their resilience and the way in which they came back to almost take the win. With Thetford battling for the top of the league and in the Quarter Finals of the Challenge Cup, attention must quickly refocus, especially with three important league games still to come in 2024, with Cornard United away next Saturday. Three huge chances to bag three massive wins, yes the FA Vase dream is over, but the league dream is anything but, the fans are still behind the team, let's go Thetford, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
WHITE ENSIGN: Bradley Davison, Ben Sargent, Dan Monk, Nathan Wilson (C), Joseph Atoki, Albie Keith, Alfie Terry, Jon Evans, Riley Weir, Harry Kateley, Ellis Devereux. SUBS: Billy Bonham-Dare, Chinedu Duru, Austin Smart, Taylor Jacobi, Trevor Harding.
THETFORD TOWN: Ryan Dickerson, Adam Laker, Jaydyn Lott, Sam Bond (C), Dylan Grove, Jake Mann, Kieran Money, Cameron King, Jordan Buttle, Dan Gilchrist, George Diggens. SUBS: Callum Olpin, Harvey Lott, Josh Wells, Elliot Smith, Miguel Pereira.
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