10th December 2024
Thetford Town vs Harleston Town @ Mundford Road - Thetford
Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup - Round 4 (both teams Step 5)
19:45 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 147
Half-time score: Thetford Town 1-0 Harleston Town
Goals:
Thetford Town: Olpin - 37'
Harleston Town: Manning - 75'
Thetford Town: Buttle - 76'
Final Score: Thetford Town 2-1 Harleston Town
With Thetford Town's much anticipated 3rd Round FA Vase away game at White Ensign cancelled due to Storm Darragh, a reverse of their last game was up next, as they hosted Harleston Town. This time it was not a league game, but the 4th Round of the Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup. With the two leagues games being close contests, this was set to be another one, with Harleston Town hoping to beat Thetford Town, which they nearly did in the last game, and the hosts needing to improve their rather lacklustre performance if they wished to proceed into the next round.
Today's Barnes Print matchday programme had Thetford Town midfield maestro, Cameron King, on the front cover, as he prepares to take a corner.
It was a chilly evening, but a massive improvement from the awful weekend weather as Storm Darragh passed over, the pitch looking surprisingly unscathed and in good condition, testament to the efforts that are put in behind the scenes. On the well manicured pitch, Thetford Town lined up claret and blue, with Harleston Town in their home black and white striped kit, with yellow accents.
KEY MOMENTS
TT = Thetford Town
HA = Harleston Town
8' - HA - Harleston with a corner, Durham swings it in towards goal forcing Dickerson to punch it clear off the line.
31' - TT - After a slew of half-chances, Thetford get their first decent chance of the game. Wells breaks a challenge and strides forwards into the space, he slides Harvey Lott through who takes the ball into the box and shoots, but keeper Kieran Nunn is out fast and makes the save with his legs.
37' - TT - GOAL (1-0) - Free-kick to Thetford in a dangerous position. Olpin's effort crashes into the wall, but he is able to pick-up the rebound and fires the ball in again, it travels through everyone and rolls into the net, with captain Sam Bond playing a part, stepping over the ball to wrong foot the defence and keeper, not the sweetest goal but they all count!
45' - TT - Brilliant ball from Olpin releases Jaydyn Lott down the right, he takes the ball deep then cuts it back across the goal to find Buttle on the far-side, he takes a touch to control then shoots towards the bottom left corner, but keeper Nunn is able to get down and turn it around the post for a corner.
46' - TT - Early Thetford chance in the second-half from a corner, Money pings the ball in and Jaydyn Lott rises the highest to head towards goal, keeper Nunn spills but there are no Thetford players nearby.
60' - HA - SIN BIN - Harleston captain Nathan Stone off for 10 minutes for dissent, not really sure why, the event leading up to this was a Harleston player down injured after blocking a Thetford Town strike from the edge of the box.
64' - HA - RED CARD - Not long after the sin-binning, Harleston are temporarily down to 9 men as Pickess receives a straight red for a poorly timed and high challenge on Thetford Town striker George Diggens, forcing him to retire early from this evenings game.
70' - HA - GOAL (1-1) - Back up to 10 men and against all odds the visitors score. Harleston win a free-kick in a dangerous position, Durham whips the ball in, the attempted clearance shoots directly into the air allowing defender Manning to head in from close range as the ball dropped back down to Earth, they do know how to score from a set-piece.
71' - TT - GOAL (2-1) - The shock equaliser sparks Thetford into life, they attack from the kick-off and Buttle, from the edge of the box, drives his left-footed screamer of a strike into the top right corner, what a goal!
74' - HA - Thetford concede another free-kick in a dangerous position. Durham powers the ball in towards goal, Dickerson collects but then spills the ball, but is able to re-collect before any players in black and white stripes can get to it.
86' - TT - Swift attack from Thetford, a brilliant touch from substitute Grove to control the ball then off down the right he sprints, he is able to feed fwllow substitute Gilchrist through who then squares across to Buttle on the far-side, but the shot is sadly pulled wide.
88' - TT - Grove with direct running, this time through the middle, he is able to thread Harvey Lott through but keeper Kieran Nunn is out like lightning to make the stop on the edge of the box, his 2nd time denying Harvey tonight.
Thetford Town's win sees them into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals, however they somewhat laboured to victory against a 10-man Harleston Town. Thetford showed glimpses of what they can do tonight, such as Buttle's worldie, but it felt like they struggled to get out of 3rd gear against a resolute Harleston Town. Of particular concern, both George Diggens and captain Sam Bond went off injured, so I hope that both substitutions were precautionary and that they are ready to go in the FA Vase this coming Saturday. Harleston Town gave Thetford Town their 3rd hard game of the season, they certainly look better than their 17th position in the table suggests, I'm sure they will be higher up in a few weeks. From one cup competition and into another, Thetford Town will make their 2nd attempt at completing their 3rd Round FA Vase game in the South Eastern tip of Essex, to face White Ensign, who groundshare at Great Wakering Rovers, will be a big day out for the club, and hopefully another memorable one, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
THETFORD TOWN: Ryan Dickerson, Adam Laker, Jaydyn Lott, Sam Bond (C), Josh Wells, Jake Mann, Kieran Money, Callum Olpin, Jordan Buttle, Harvey Lott, George Diggens. SUBS: Cameron King, Dan Gilchrist, Dylan Grove, Marley Reynolds, Miguel Pereira.
HARLESTON TOWN: Kieran Nunn, Adrian Musasa, Brad Hunt, Harrison Hide, Joe Manning, Josh Durham, Brandon Pickess, Robbie Turner, Spencer Cawcutt, Panashe Mundawarara, Nathan Stone (C). SUBS: Wilson Cruz, Connor Delaney, Rob Goodwin.
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