30th March 2024
Fakenham Town vs Thetford Town @ Clipbush Park - Fakenham
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£7 entry
Attendance - 190
Half-time score: Fakenham Town 0-0 Thetford Town
Goal:
Fakenham Town: Watts - 66'
Final Score: Fakenham Town 1-0 Thetford Town
With the race for the play-offs remaining tight, Thetford Town faced a tricky trip away to play Fakenham Town. Whilst Fakenham Town are mid-table, they have excellent form at home, and to add to this, Thetford were having to start with a makeshift formation, missing a few key players this afternoon, so it was going to be a tough one. The main threat for Fakenham Town is club captain Jake Watts who was on an impressive 22 for the season at the start of the game.
This was my first visit to Clipbush Park, and I was certainly impressed, a wide array of pitches on the way in, a nice flat pitch with a large main stand and sheltered areas behind each goal and a decent clubhouse, seems a great footballing complex. On the way in, I picked up a programme, another Barnes Print classic with a lot of content within.
Alan Arber of The Offside Trust was also present, continuing his fantastic work raising funds for what will always be a shocking but incredibly important cause.
It was a beautifully sunny early spring afternoon, the low sun causing some visibility issues as the game wore on. Into the sunshine, Fakenham Town lined up in their home yellow and black, with Thetford Town wearing their home claret and blue colours.
KEY MOMENTS
FA = Fakenham Town
TT = Thetford Town
First Half - No clear-cut chances of note in the first 45, but Fakenham had the better run of the play, neutralising Thetford effectively but being unable to make the final pass or strike count. The makeshift Thetford defensive unit of Bond, Haylett, Laker and Grove had a good half, and midfielder Kieran Money seemed to be everywhere, he was having a brilliant game.
55' - TT - Laker and Gilchrist link up well down the right, the ball is squared across to Jake Mann in a central position just outside the area, in space he immediately shoots, it is hit with some power but too close to keeper Pearson who is able to make the save and collect the ball.
57' - FA - A long-ball is pumped forward, the Thetford Town defence head the ball back towards to Tom Smith but captain Jake Watts almost intercepts, was very close but Tom was able to gather the ball.
59' - TT - Grove finally get the better of the winger to go on a pacey run down the left, he plays a 1-2 with Gilchrist which gets him inside the box, he then passes back to Gilchrist who takes a touch to centralise the ball then fires in a stinging strike from just behind the penalty spot which forces a reaction save from Pearson to tip the ball over for a corner.
61' - FA - A long ball splits the Thetford defence allowing Whiteley to cut through on goal having controlled the ball on the bounce, Thetford captain Bond sprints across forcing Whiteley to shoot early and his effort is brilliantly saved by the leg of the onrushing Tom Smith, big let off for Thetford.
66' - FA - GOAL (1-0) - It felt like it was coming and Fakenham Town break the deadlock. A long ball down the left sees the Thetford defence scrambling back in a panic, I think it was either Robinson or Whiteley who takes the ball deep down the flank and crosses it in towards the near-post, where the Fakenham top scorer and captain Jake Watts gets between the defender and keeper to turn the ball in from close range, a fine strikers finish to put the hosts in the lead.
71' - FA - Thetford pressurise the Fakenham area, but the next good chance falls to the hosts following a clearance. Watts does well to hold the ball-up, he then plays in Robinson who takes the ball to the edge of the area and shoots, his deflected shot scooting across goal and wide of the far post to win a corner.
75' - TT - A brilliant long ball from Laker puts substitute King through to the left of the goal, he drives into the box then cuts across to beat the defender and open up the angle, his venomous strike forcing a spectacular diving save from Pearson to concede a corner.
83' - TT - A sustained attacked from Thetford sees them peppering the Fakenham area, the ball eventually finds Avis in the middle of the box, he shuffles the ball out of his feet to wrong foot the covering defender and cracks in a powerful strike, it has Pearson beaten but smashes into the upright and out, and Elliot Smith's follow-up from the right is blocked to win another corner. Heartbreakingly close for Thetford with the woodwork rattling for a while after that one!
Fakenham held out well for the win, their formation and tactics negating the Thetford attacking threat for large parts of the game. They were organised, compact, strong, quick to the ball and fast to counter, leading them to dominate the midfield and therefore the game. There were no stand-out players for me, they all played well as a unit and were certainly good for their win, with no complaints from Thetford, who did however have chances at the end to rescue a point with Avis going closest as his powerful strike hit the post. This was always going to be a difficult away game, but Thetford need to re-group fast as they host play-off rivals Newmarket Town on Monday in what is shaping up to be a huge game for both sides as Downham Town continue their challenge for the play-off places, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
FAKENHAM TOWN: Luke Pearson, Alex Walpole, Fraser Field, Mitch Rasberry, Josh Youngs, Jayden Wright, Jack Robinson, Jude Frostick, Jake Watts (C), Finn Whiteley, Lewis Bonner. SUBS: Ben Terry, Joe Keeley, Jake Poore, Lewis Sturman, Tanatswa Malenguka.
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Dylan Grove, Ryan Haylett, Adam Laker, Sam Bond (C), Jake Mann, Elliot Smith, Kieran Money, Callum Olpin, Dan Gilchrist, Shaun Avis. SUBS: Cameron King, George Diggens, Malachi Wright, Harvey Lott, Josh Wells.
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