25th January 2025
Fakenham Town vs Thetford Town @ Clipbush Park - Fakenham
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 218
Half-time score: Fakenham Town 2-0 Thetford Town
Goals:
Fakenham Town: Robinson - 16', 23'
Fakenham Town: Middleton - 66'
Final Score: Fakenham Town 3-0 Thetford Town
A big away day for The Brecklanders as they travelled north to face fellow promotion rivals Fakenham Town, in a battle of 3rd vs 1st. This is the first league game between the two sides this season, however, they were drawn in the Norfolk Cup where a competitive game was played out at Mundford Road, with Fakenham securing a 3-2 win. This game marks the first of several tricky away games for Thetford Town, hopefully they could start this run well.
Upon entry, it was great to see printed matchday programmes, so I grabbed one for £1, Barnes Print of course.
It was a sunny mild winter's day, but the pitch looked heavy and bobbly from the recent wet weather. Onto this, both teams soon lined-up, with Fakenham Town in their home yellow & black, with Thetford Town also sporting their home colours of claret & blue.
KEY MOMENTS
FA = Fakenham Town
TT = Thetford Town
14' - TT - Ball hit over the backline by Money, Diggens is onto the ball and tries to chip the incoming keeper on the bounce, but he doesn't get enough on it and Pearson is able to stretch upwards to collect.
16' - FA - GOAL (1-0) - Robinson receives the ball on the edge of the box from Middleton, with acres of space he picks his spot and fires the ball across Dickerson and into the inside of the side-netting, fine finish to give the hosts an early lead.
22' - FA - Thetford lose the ball deep, it is crossed into the box, Middleton is in at the far-post but fails to connect strongly allowing Dickerson to save!
23' - FA - GOAL (2-0) - The prior miss does not matter as Robinson bags his second, as they attack a blocked shot loops into the air, it bounces in front of Robinson who is in acres of space yet again and he cracks in a half-volley which flies past Dickerson and into the inside of the side-netting, much like before, to leave Thetford Town shell-shocked.
35' - TT - King in the middle, he feeds Diggens coming in off the right, he runs with the ball into the box and shoots, but the effort is blocked by the defender and is deflected out for a corner.
42' - TT - A low corner from King, Money receives the ball, turns, and shoots, but his effort slams into the back of a covering defender and spins out for another corner.
45'+2' - TT - Thetford are desperate to go into half-time only a goal behind, a trademark jinking run from King into the box sucks in the defenders before he slides the ball out to Buttle on the left, he takes a touch then shoots towards the far bottom corner, it is heading in but the diving Pearson gets the faintest of touches on the ball to divert it wide, but the referee inexplicably signals a goal-kick....
47' - FA - Ball drops to Bonner 25yrds out, his looping effort having to be tipped over the bar by Dickerson.
48' - TT - Thetford attack down the right, Buttle is clattered but Grove whips the loose ball into the box, Diggens is in at the far-post and volleys the ball towards goal, but the tracking defender is able to somehow make an acrobatic block, would surely have been a goal otherwise!
61' - FA - Fakenham break, Robinson is in but under-pressure he selflessly squares to league top scorer Jake Watts, it looks a certain goal but Dickerson is out like a flash to close him down and make a brilliant save.
66' - FA - GOAL (3-0) - Thetford needed the 3rd goal, but it came for the hosts. Thetford are attacking and give away the ball, Fakenham break fast Henman-Manson finds Middleton on the left and he lashes the ball across Dickerson and into the far-side of the goal.
70' - TT - RED CARD - Any chance of a late Thetford comeback is killed off as Buttle receives a second yellow for a reckless sliding challenge as Fakenham attacked down the left through Bonner, game over.
72' - TT - Cross in from the right by Jake Mann, but Diggens unable to connect, great chance.
78' - TT - King not giving up on the cause, sublime skill and poise as he weaves into the box and powers in a strike across goal, it has some pace on it it but keeper Pearson dives and gets a fingertip on the ball to push it wide!
84' - FA - Another sloppy pass at the back from Thetford, substitute Keeley is onto it, puts Watts in at the far-post but his sliding effort is blocked by Dickerson.
How to sum up that one! Certainly one of the worst performances of the season, Fakenham Town undoubtedly deserved their win, and after the red card I honestly thought they would score more, so in some ways relieved it stayed at 3-0. Thetford were set-up wrong from the off, with the wingers pushing up too high the back three were stretched, and within the cavernous spaces attacker Jack Robinson exploited these to bag two early goals, both with spectacular finishes to be fair. Once Thetford sorted themselves out they looked better, but the damage was done, and when they did get chances to score the Fakenham defenders put their bodies on the line and keeper Pearson made at least two fine saves to deny them. All-in-all a bad day at the office, but now a big test for the team if they wish to stay on-top of the league, as they need to pick themselves up sharpish as they travel to Great Yarmouth Town this coming Wednesday evening, and if they aren't at the races it could be another difficult night. With Brantham Athletic steaming in from behind, points on the board are a necessity, so with the fans and everyone at the club behind them they can hopefully rise to the challenge, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
FAKENHAM TOWN: Luke Pearson, Mitch Rasberry, Dylan Coslett, Lewis Sturman, Charlie Mayhew, Jayden Wright, Lewis Bonner, Louis Henman-Mason, Jake Watts (C), Jack Robinson, Luke Middleton. SUBS: Joe Henman, Joe Keeley, Fin Page, Jake Poore, Alex Walpole.
THETFORD TOWN: Ryan Dickerson, Dylan Grove, Jaydyn Lott, Josh Wells, Jordan Buttle, Kieran Money, Elliot Smith (C), Jake Mann, Cameron King, Callum Olpin, George Diggens. SUBS: Sam Bond, Adam Laker, Dan Gilchrist, Harvey Lott, Marley Reynolds.
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