6th April 2024
Kirkley & Pakefield vs Thetford Town @ Walmer Road - Pakefield
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£7 entry
Attendance - 105
Half-time score: Kirkley & Pakefield 0-1 Thetford Town
Goals:
Thetford Town: Olpin - 33'
Thetford Town: Money - 65'
Final Score: Kirkley & Pakefield 0-2 Thetford Town
Having had a challenging Easter Weekend, it was of the utmost importance for Thetford Town to secure a win this afternoon to keep their play-off and Step 4 dreams alive. Today saw the team travel to the Suffolk Coast to face bottom-of-the-league Kirkley & Pakefield, so a great chance to get back to winning ways. However, Kirkley & Pakefield had an excellent Easter, winning two games on the spin, both at home, and including a good Lakenheath team, so they were a team on the up!
I was impressed by the facilities at Kirkley & Pakefield, seemed a well run club and had an excellent club house. They have been in this league for the most consecutive seasons out of everyone, currently playing their 19th season, what a fantastic record.
Before the game I checked out the coast, it would have been rude not to, was very scenic with lots of beautifully painted beach huts, looks like it would be a nice place in the sun, and there were a few decent looking chippys and pubs.
On the way in I grabbed a programme, £1.50 for this full colour one.
Despite the optimistic forecast, it was overcast and very blowy, the strong wind coming in straight off the sea. Lining up in the wind, was Kirkley & Pakefield in their home blue and white shirts, with Thetford in their home claret & blue.
KEY MOMENTS
KP = Kirkley & Pakefield
TT = Thetford Town
20' - TT - A tight opening start of the game with neither team able to break through the defences. The first decent chance comes courtesy of a Cameron King short corner, he plays the 1-2 with Gilchrist, evades the challenge and threads the ball into the near-post to find Jake Mann, he shoots but his effort from a tight angle is stopped relatively comfortably by Blowers.
33' - TT - GOAL (0-1) - A sustained Thetford attack sees shots flying in from all angles, the ball being deflected and spinning wildly into the air twice, it eventually drops nicely to Olpin inside the box who volleys it, the ball curving beyond the reach of Blowers and into the net, it was a sweetly struck shot giving the keeper no chance, a well deserved goal for Callum!
44' - KP - A fast counter down the right spearheaded by the tricksy Phipps, he skips through challenges, getting into the area where he squares the ball back to the open Munro, he takes a touch then absolutely skies his effort, should have done a lot better.
45'+2' - TT - The ball is shuffled out to King on the left, he skips past the defender and and cracks in one of his trademark stinging strikes, but keeper Blowers does really well to dive across and get an outstretched arm on the ball, pushing it wide for a corner.
51' - KP - The Royals come out fired up from the break and are on top, and they should have equalised early on. Thetford lose possession in the middle, Munro takes the ball forward then releases Phipps down the right, he cuts in and fires in a strike across goal, Tom Smith gets down well to make the stop but the ball falls perfectly to substitute Conway at the far post who somehow clatters the ball into the post and out, big let off for Thetford!
58' - KP - A long ball punted down field, aided by the headwind, bounces in front of Grove and over him, this sees Phipps in space, he elects to hit a half-volley from 25 yards, it is wonderfully struck and dipping in under the crossbar, but Tom Smith is able to tip it over.
62' - TT - Jake Mann bursts through down the left, he shoots and defender Kieran Wing dives to make the block, the ball clearly being stopped by his forearm, but the referee is unmoved.
65' - TT - GOAL (0-2) - Thetford get the all important 2nd goal, courtesy of Kieran Money. He drives through the middle, plays a 1-2 with Gilchrist to get him into the box, he rides the challenge of the final defender to see himself through on goal, and with Blowers coming out at pace, he calmly chips him with a deft finish, coolness personified!
92' - TT - A long ball is flicked on by Avis to release Gilchrist through on goal to put the cherry on top, but the linesman raises his flag. I was inline with this one, he was at least a yard on, very disappointing.
A great result for Thetford Town sees them secure the all important three-points, a clean-sheet and break Kirkley & Pakefield's recent run of good form. Kirkley & Pakefield proved difficult to breakdown, requiring two excellent finishes from Olpin and Money to see them off. Thetford dominated the majority of the game, with The Royals coming alive in the 2nd half and having a strong 15mins where they should have equalised, and had they done so it could have been a difficult afternoon for the mean in claret and blue. But this didn't happen and Thetford were good for their win, seeing it out comfortably with every player putting in maximum effort, they were stronger and quicker to the ball in all areas as the clock ticked on, and managed to eventually peg in their main threat, Bailey Phipps, who looks a really tidy player. With news of Downham Town going down 1-0 against Mulbarton Wanderers, one more win will seal Thetford's play-off place, and next up is Hadleigh United away, bring it on, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
KIRKLEY & PAKEFIELD: Alex Blowers, Oliver Griffin, Kieran Wing, Daniel Munro, Jack Lawrence, Harry Creamer, Bailey Phipps, George (C), Cameron Russell, Keenan Hutchings, Panashe Mundawarara. SUBS: Caleb Geib, Jake Conway, Jack Hutchinson, Jerrell Barbor, Ross Gilfedder.
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Dylan Grove, Sam Bond (C), Josh Wells, Ryan Haylett, Kieran Money, Jake Mann, Elliot Smith, Cameron King, Dan Gilchrist, Callum Olpin. SUBS: Shaun Avis, Adam Laker, Malachi Wright, Ryan Fuller.
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