Thurlow Nunn D1 North: Diss Town 2-0 Wivenhoe Town

19th April 2025

Diss Town vs Wivenhoe Town @ Brewers Green Lane - Diss

Thurlow Nunn Division One North (Step 6)

15:00 KO

£7 entry

Attendance - TBA

Half-time score: Diss Town 0-0 Wivenhoe Town

Goals:

Diss Town: Abodunde - 59'

Diss Town: T. Woods - 85'

Final Score: Diss Town 2-0 Wivenhoe Town

A big game at Brewers Green Lane this afternoon, this game the first of two this weekend, the final two games of the season, as Diss Town battle to secure one of those all important play-off places. With Diss Town in a close battle with FC Peterborough and Framlingham Town, and with Diss Town having to travel to runaway leaders Haverhill Rovers on Monday, this game felt like a must win. Diss Town have been in and around the play-offs all season, exceeding expectations. I was also particularly keen to see how Thetford Town loanee, Malachi Wright, was getting on at Diss. Visitors Wivenhoe Town, although 16th in the league, were not going to be an easy opponent as they themselves are fighting for survival, one point enough to secure safety, unless Haverhill Borough fail to bag all 6 points this weekend.

At the turnstiles I picked-up a printed matchday programme for £2, very nice full colour glossy one, they do a great programme down at Diss.

It was a sunny afternoon, but with a biting wind whipping in to make things a bit uncomfortable. Out into the sunshine, Diss Town lined up in their home orange colours, with Wivenhoe Town in their away mint green shirts with black shorts.

KEY MOMENTS

DT = Diss Town

WT = Wivenhoe Town

17' - DT - A cleared ball drops to Bray just outside the box, his lofted volley is dipping in, but the Wivenhoe keeper gets a touch on it to tip it over the bar, but the referee awards a goal-kick.

51' - DT - Strong penalty shout as a Diss ball into the box looks to have been handled by a raised Wivenhoe hand, but nothing is given.

59' - DT - GOAL (1-0) - Diss with the breakthrough to rapturous applause, a Bray corner is swung in to the far-post, Abodunde rises high and his bullet header bursts into the net, big moment for the hosts!

73' - WT - Wivenhoe with a golden opportunity to equalise, a ball is whipped in from the left, Brennan is open and it looks like a close-range tap-in, but he does not connect cleanly and the chance goes begging, big let off for the hosts and their play-off ambitions.

85' - DT - GOAL (2-0) - A huge 2nd goal for Diss to prevent a nervy finale, from a corner a goalmouth scramble ensues, Jackson has a shot saved, it ricochets back to him and he has another dig, this time beating the keeper but his effort is cleared off the line, it falls to substitute Toby Woods who manages to get the ball over the line, to seal the win for The Tangies!

A game of few chances, but a competitive battling and enthralling game. Wivenhoe needing the point sat deep but defended resolutely limiting Diss to very few chances. However, Diss were ultimately able to break the deadlock from a set-piece before weathering a Wivenhoe resurgence before sealing the well-earned win. With some attacking options unavailable for Diss, this was an impressive win and it has to be said that the back-line were fantastic today, quickly snuffing out Wivenhoe attacks. At the final whistle the significance of the win became apparent as news came in that FC Peterborough were defeated by local rivals Whittlesey Athletic, thereby confirming Diss Town's place in the play-offs! The game this coming Monday will decide if they will finish 4th or 5th in the table, and therefore who they will travel to face between Stanway Pegasus and Harwich & Parkeston. It was also pleasing to see that Wivenhoe Town had also survived the drop, with Haverhill Borough only able to register a draw. Best of luck to Diss Town in the play-offs, great to see their season continuing beyond Monday.

Line-Ups:

DISS TOWN: George Howes, Ashton Derham, Harvey Norman, Myron Abodunde, James Blyth, James Sillet (C), Malachi Wright, George Erith, Liam Jackson, Benji Blyth, Callum Bray. SUBS: Harry Anderson, Thierry Mafukidze, Toby Woods, Ollie Woods, Andrew Topping.

WIVENHOE TOWN: Gabriel Ruth-Pateman, Josh Dennis, Maxwell Long, Ben Gallifant (C), Harry Conway, Zane Richards, Craig Hughes, Orland Tene, Lewis Brennan, George Horrocks, Mark Dallinger. SUBS: Gabriel Kerr, Mitchell Goddard, Jack Routley.