25th November 2023
Downham Town vs Thetford Town @ Memorial Playing Field - Downham Market
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£6 entry
Attendance - 148
Half-time score: Downham Town 3-1 Thetford Town
Goals:
Downham Town: White - 6'
Downham Town: Toll - 25'
Thetford Town: Haylett - 43
Downham Town: McQuaid - 45'+2'
Thetford Town: Money - 52'
Downham Town: Toll - 66'
Leigh Simons recorded the goals, see the links below:
Final Score: Downham Town 4-2 Thetford Town
It has been what has felt like a long 3 weeks since the last Thetford Town game, with no fixtures scheduled 2 weeks ago and last weeks Norfolk Senior Cup tie against Aylsham cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch, so I was certainly looking forward to this game. And it was sure to be a good one, with newly promoted Downham Town performing well, and added to the fact they are only a short drive up the A134 and in the same parliamentary constituency, it is a local derby of sorts. The break will have hopefully allowed Thetford to sort through their niggling injuries and be back to a full-squad, but I was hoping that the team were still match sharp.
Upon turning up at the ground, I was delighted to see printed programmes on offer, so I grabbed one for £1, full colour and glossy, a bargain!
It was a still and cold afternoon, with the temperature plunging below 5°C. Into the cold, Downham Town lined up in red, with Thetford Town in their away black & white stripes.
KEY MOMENTS
DT = Downham Town
TT = Thetford Town
6' - DT - GOAL (1-0) - Thetford Town start the brightest, but a mistake at the back sees Downham Town take an early lead. The Downham captain, No.5, pings a long ball up the field, White chases the ball with the Thetford captain Bond in tow, keeper Smith is out to the edge of the area to collect, but a collision sees the ball go loose and the White powers it into the goal, with Cullum having tracked back to the goal-line unable to sweep it away.
25' - DT - GOAL (2-0) - The ball bobbles about in the box following a long throw-in, it falls kindly to Toll who lashes the ball in from close range to put them two goals to the good.
37' - TT - A ball whipped into the box from the right is deflected, it falls to Olpin inside the area, he controls the ball and shoots, but it is blocked by a scrambling defender.
43' - TT - GOAL (2-1) - Thetford get a goal back before the break, they pressurise the Downham box, Grove finds Haylett on the right side of the box, he puts a low ball into the danger area, and it evades everyone, including keeper McAnally, to travel into the bottom left corner of the goal.
45'+2' - DT - GOAL (3-1) - Disaster for Thetford as they concede in the dying moments of the first half. McQuaid steels the ball off Grove deep in the Thetford half, he cuts into the box from the right and powers in a strike across the face of goal, it skips of the ground just in from of the diving Tom Smith, lifting the ball over his glove and into the net.
50' - TT - King shuffles the ball out to new signing Dylan Kirk on the right wing, his powerful ball into the box is deflected and looks to be heading in at the near-post, but McAnally is alert and he palms the ball away for a corner.
51' - TT - From the corner, the ball falls to Kirk, just outside the box, he picks his spot and shoots, it has McAnally scrambling, but the Downham captain (No.5) manages to get an outstretched leg to the ball to make an important block, could have been in otherwise!
52' - TT - GOAL (3-2) - Thetford finally get rewarded for their faster more accurate play following the break. King finds Kirk running down the right, he cuts the ball back, and on the bounce Money half-volleys it just inside the box and it rifles into the top left corner, simply incredible finish!
65' - TT - Substitute Diggens drive a low quick ball across the box from the right, but Avis is unable to connect at full-stretch.
66' - DT - GOAL (4-2) - Surely the goal to seal the victory for Downham Town. A long ball is pumped up the field, Fletcher Toll chases it and as it bounces, he lifts it over Hugh Cullum, runs onto the ball into the box and despite Tom Smith doing his best to cut the angle, his strike is pin-point perfect and goes into the bottom right corner, clinical!
75' - DT - White finds McQuaid coming in from the right, he looks to be in, but Tom Smith just manages to beat him to the ball, to prevent an embarrassing 5th.
80' - TT - From a corner, the ball falls to Gilchrist on the edge of the area, he hits a volley but the effort is yet again blocked by the Downham defence, several big blocks were made this afternoon, been a tough nut to crack indeed!
Overall a disappointing afternoon for Thetford Town, in a game that ebbed and flowed, with Downham Town proving to be the more clinical of the two sides. Thetford came out well, but an error at the back gifted Downham Town the opener, and after this Downham were clearly on top and scored a deserved second. Matt Morton made a raft of early changes and this had a positive impact on the game, and they managed to peg Downham back, but a critical late goal in the first half changed the complexion of this game. It was then always going to be an uphill battle for Thetford, and although they played much better in the second half, the Downham backline were organised, physical and strong, and managed to stand firm to secure the points. Downham Town looked a good side, well drilled and powerful with good communication, and I was particularly impressed by the spearhead of their attack in White, Toll and McQuaid, the former looking a particular handful! The defeat sees Thetford Town slump to 8th place, but this season still has a long way to go and they are still in the mix for the all-important play-off places. Next up is the re-arranged game against Aylsham on Tuesday night, hopefully a good opportunity for Thetford to put this one behind them, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
DOWNHAM TOWN (alphabetical order): Matthew Castellan, Joseph Jackson, Duncan McAnally, Eoin McQuaid, Jake Miller, James Moore, Luke Reed, Fletcher Toll, George Watts-Sturrock, Jacob White, Patrick Yates. SUBS: Matthew Franks, Jack Gould, Artur Visocanskis.
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Sam Bond (C), Ryan Haylett, Hugh Cullum, Adam Laker, Kieran Money, Dylan Kirk, Callum Olpin, Jake Mann, Cameron King, Shaun Avis. SUBS: George Diggens, Dan Gilchrist, Jaydyn Lott, Ryan Fuller, Dylan Grove.
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