30th November 2024
Harleston Town vs Thetford Town @ Wilderness Lane - Harleston
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 178
Half-time score: Harleston Town 2-1 Thetford Town
Goals:
Harleston Town: Cawcutt - 5'
Thetford Town: H.Lott - 28'
Harleston Town: Cawcutt - 33'
Thetford Town: Buttle/Own Goal - 87'
Final Score: Harleston Town 2-2 Thetford Town
With barely enough time to have reflected on the mid-week result away at Walsham-le-Willows where three points became one in the blink of an eye, Thetford Town were back on the road, this time staying within Norfolk as they travelled east to Harleston Town. With Thetford Town 2nd in the table and with Harleston Town 16th at kick-off, it would be easy to predict an away win, however, closer inspection of Harleston's recent results show wins against top opposition, including beating Great Yarmouth Town away 3-1 and Brantham Athletic 5-3 at home. The return fixture earlier in the season at Thetford Town was also a close run game, so another big test was awaiting the boys in claret and blue.
On the way into the ground I picked up a Barnes Print programme for £1, they always do a great programme.
It was a mild afternoon, but with the recent wet weather the pitch was very heavy and bobbly, and even covered in leaves one side of the pitch, not conducive for flowing attacking football. Onto the field, Harleston Town lined up in black and white stripes, with Thetford Town in their away mint green.
KEY MOMENTS
HA = Harleston Town
TT = Thetford Town
4' - HA - Harleston corner curled into the far-post, captain Joseph Manning is on the end of it but his headed effort is tipped over by Dickerson.
5' - HA - GOAL (1-0) - From the resultant corner, ball not cleared, a shot comes in from Ebbage, Dickerson makes a fine save but the ball falls into the path of Cawcutt who blasts the ball in off the bar, early lead for the hosts.
7' - HA - Crossed ball, Barber gets his head on the end of it forcing Dickerson to make another save, all Harleston at the start, Thetford struggling to adapt to the pitch.
12' - TT - Gilchrist gets on the ball down the left, he nutmegs the defender, gets to the byline and shoots from a very narrow angle, his effort smashing into the post and out.
20' - TT - Harvey Lott finds Gilchrist on the edge of the box, he immediately turns and shoots, the wonderfully struck effort flies just wide of the top-left corner, nearly a spectacular leveller!
26' - TT - Harvey Lott feeds Gilchrist down the left, he takes the ball into the left and tries to ride a couple of challenges, the ball goes loose but King is on hand and he manages to shoot, but Pride is out to make an excellent stop.
28' - TT - GOAL (1-1) - Thetford finally get their deserved goal, some brilliant play from King in the middle of the park as he strides forwards, he threads the ball beautifully through to Harvey Lott who is on it like a flash, and through on goal he clinically drives the ball into the bottom left corner, excellent finish!
33' - HA - GOAL (2-1) - Harleston re-take the lead, Thetford fail to clear, and the ball is curled into the far-post, it is headed back across and an unmarked Cawcutt heads in from close range for his 2nd goal!
55' - TT - King sees the run of Money and passes the ball through to him but his effort is fired over.
78' - TT - Substitute Diggens with great work down the right, he crosses the ball deep where Laker manages to beat the defender to the ball and he powers in a shot at the near-post, Pride parries the ball into the middle but agonisingly no Thetford players are there.
79' - HA - Harleston counter-attack, Page runs with the ball and gets into the box where he goes down, looked 50/50 to me, seen those given, but the referee waves play-on.
83' - TT - Substitute Jake Mann threads fellow substitute Diggens through, he takes a touch and is about to shoot, but a well timed challenge comes in to prevent the strike, goal saving tackle!
84' - HA - Harleston with the chance to seal the win, Mundawarara gets past Bondy as he slips on the claggy pitch, he threads substitute Cruz through who somehow fires the wrong side of the post!
87' - TT - GOAL (2-2) - Thetford with the equaliser! Jaydyn Lott supporting high up the right side, he receives the ball near the by-line and crosses it in to the far-post, Buttle secures the ball and shoots, the ball deflecting off a defender and into the net.
A lacklustre performance from Thetford Town on a heavy pitch, but they can consider themselves lucky to come away with a point after that one. Both goals conceded were preventable with chances to clear, and due to this Thetford were always chasing the game. Overall performance level was below par, with Harleston dominating the midfield for large parts of the game and Thetford losing a lot of challenges and 50/50s. However, Thetford done well to keep plugging away in the 2nd half, with substitutes Diggens and Mann having a big impact when on. An away point is never something to be sniffed at, and with Downham drawing and Great Yarmouth losing, damage done was minimised although both Fakenham and Ely recorded wins. Time to forget about the league for a bit however, as Thetford Town will be heading down to the very south easterly tip of Essex to play White Ensign in the FA Vase 3rd Round, will be a brilliant day out for the club with two coach loads of fans in tow, should be a memorable day for all and hopefully Thetford can bag the win, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
HARLESTON TOWN: Elliot Pride, Adrian Musasa, George Barber, Harrison Hide, Oliver Ebbage, Joseph Manning (C), Nathan Page, Bradley Hunt, Spencer Cawcutt, Parashe Mundawarara, Connor Delaney. SUBS: Wilson Cruz, Matthew Cook, Robert Goodwin.
THETFORD TOWN: Ryan Dickerson, Sam Bond (C), Adam Laker, Kieran Money, Joshua Wells, Jaydyn Lott, Cameron King, Jordan Buttle, Dan Gilchrist, Harvey Lott, Callum Olpin. SUBS: George Diggens, Jake Mann, Marley Reynolds, Malachi Wright.
תגובות