31st July 2021
Lakenheath vs Thetford Town @ The Nest - Lakenheath
Thurlow Nunn Premier League (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£7 entry
Attendance - 102
Half-time score: Lakenheath 2-1 Thetford Town
Goals:
Lakenheath: Avis - 18'
Thetford Town: Visocanskis - 22'
Lakenheath: Avis - 29' (Pen)
Thetford Town: Dixon - 89'
Leigh Simons has taken some excellent footage of the goals, see links below:
Final Score: Lakenheath 2-2 Thetford Town
Finally, the first Thurlow Nunn league fixture since December 2020, has been a long wait... Well, what a fixture to kick-off the season in the Thetford & Brecks region, newly promoted Lakenheath hosting local rivals Thetford Town, a team who languished at the bottom of the league in the abandoned 20/21 season. Thetford Town had strengthened in the off-season, notably by bringing in John 'Shaggy' Taylor, record Cambridge United goalscorer, as a first team coach. Pre-season results were a noticeable improvement, with players such as Artur (Visocanskis), Ryan Fuller, Michael Campbell and the two young Portuguese lads, Junior (Joao Varela) and Benny (Bernardo Felgueiras) all performing well. Lakenheath had a mixed off-season, notably winning the Suffolk Senior Cup on the 31st May, and thrashing Linton Granta 12-0, but fell to big defeats to Step 4 opposition in Soham Town Rangers and Bury Town. Nevertheless, Lakenheath had strengthened their promotion and cup winning squad, bringing in three Walsham-le-Willows players in Peters, Nurse and Hammond, and signing Jack Slater from Brandon Town who had impressed in the Anglian Combination.
As a side note, first match day programme of the season too, first ever one for Lakenheath in Step 5, a small piece of local footballing history.
The game got off to a quick start with both teams attacking each other at speed, but without creating any really clear-cut goal threatening chances. The first real one was for Thetford Town in the 14th minute, Campbell whipping a ball into the box that Fuller met with his head, but the onrushing goalkeeper, Beckwith, was able to scramble the ball over.
Lakenheath became more confident with their attacks, stretching the Thetford defence, and were able to make the break-through in the 18th minute. A cross found Thulborn unmarked on the right-hand side of the box, he rushed through on goal and got a shot away that was excellently parried by Gammon, although, directly into the path of Avis who neatly put the rebound home. 1-0 to Lakenheath, their first ever in Step 5 of the football pyramid, and who else could it have been?
Last season, Thetford's heads would have gone down, but instead, Thetford took the game to Lakenheath, and managed to equalise quickly in the 22nd minute, a ball into the box from Artur missing everyone, including the keeper, grazing the far post and in. Needless to say, the Lakenheath attackers were furious with their defence. A couple of minutes later, Thetford nearly took the lead, again by shear fluke, when an awfully sliced clearance hit the post, but was somehow kept out by Peters for a corner.
In the 28th minute, Lakenheath broke to counter attack, the ball finding Avis in the middle of the pitch goalbound. He drew the onrushing defender and laid the ball out to McIntosh who was now open on the left wing. McIntosh charged at the goal and the Thetford Town keeper Gammon made the decision to meet McIntosh. McIntosh went wide to try and round the keeper, but was clumsily taken out and the referee made no hesitation to point to the penalty spot. Gammon was lucky not to get a red, however, McIntosh was going wide and it was not clear if he would have maintained control of the ball, nevertheless it was a close call and I am sure that Gammon would have been considering himself lucky! Avis stepped up and smashed the penalty into the left side-netting, Harry Kane-esque.
Buoyed by the one goal advantage, Lakenheath pressed to increase their lead, and in the 33rd minute, a ball whipped in by McIntosh nearly found Thulborn, the merest of touches and it would have been in. Thetford had their own chance to equalise, a pass from Cusack found Artur, and his shot from the edge of the box was saved and scrambled clear by Beckwith. Both teams continued to press for the remainder of the 2nd half, but no noteworthy chances were created.
Lakenheath initially came out flying in the 2nd half for the first minute or so, but after that, the game fell into a lull for 15 mins before it sparked back into life. Thetford were pushing hard for an equaliser, and in the 62nd minute, a cross into the box found Fuller right in front of goal, but his shot, that was hit first time, went straight towards Beckwith who duly saved.
In the 63rd minute, Thetford had a clear penalty shout that was somehow not given. Benny made good progress on the left flank, taking it past and drawing in at least 3 Lakenheath players before sliding the ball into Junior at the edge of the box. Junior drove straight into the box at speed and was clipped and went down, but the referee did not blow for a penalty. The Thetford players were clearly incensed and a bit of argy bargy ensued, resulting in two yellow cards, one for each team. The local derby was beginning to heat up!
In the 66th minute McIntosh crossed in again for Lakenheath, with Thulborn again centimetres away from connecting. In the 72nd minute, Joshua Mann of Thetford sent in a freekick that found Artur's head only to be saved by Beckwith. In the 76th minute, Lakenheath had their own freekick that hit the post, and in the 77th minute, a Gammon clearance was charged down by the Lakenheath captain Sam Hawley, with the rebound narrowly going wide. Lakenheath pressure grew, and in the following passage of play. Hawley split the Thetford defence, putting Thulborn through on goal. Thulborn selected to hit the ball low to the right-hand side, and Gammon made a fantastic fingertip save to push the ball out for a corner, almost making up for the penalty.
Lakenheath were in the ascendancy, and Thetford were desperate to not lose the opening game of the season, so desperate times called for desperate measures, and the 56 year old Cambridge United legend, John 'Shaggy' Taylor stripped down and came on the pitch on the 86th minute, to the delight of the the crowd. His presence on the pitch had an immediate impact, his vocalisation and aura gave Thetford a lift, and Lakenheath seemed wary of the old campaigner. The last 5 minutes was all Thetford, with Taylor being a nuisance in the Lakenheath box, almost connecting with two crossed balls. In the 89th minute Thetford had a stroke of fortune, something that was sorely lacking in the 20/21 campaign. Cusack crossed into the box, and Beckwith seemed to collect the ball, but the onrushing substitute, Kristian Dixon, hit the ball into the net with his head. It was unclear if the ball was hit out of Beckwith's hands, or if he had lost control, but all Thetford needed to know was that the goal was awarded, much to the displeasure of the home crowd. Thetford continued to press, with Thetford continually assaulting the Lakenheath box. During an attack in the 92nd minute, the ball fell to Jake Mann just outside the box and he unleashed a firecracker of a shot that just grazed over the top of the crossbar. And with that, the game was over with both teams sharing the spoils, although one team was clearly happier than the other.
Overall, this was an excellent opening fixture of the season that had it all, goals, comebacks, flukes, passion, a bit of needle and the appearance of a Cambridge United legend! Ultimately, Thetford Town will consider themselves lucky to return home with a point, however, the overall performance and style of play was a big improvement on last season on which they can build, especially when you consider that key 1st team players such as Elliott Smith and Luke Bailey were absent. Lakenheath should also take heart with their performance, they were the better team on the day and look well suited to Step 5. I am sure that not many defences in the league will be delighted to be facing the skilful and pacey frontline of Avis, Thulborn, Enaro and McIntosh, the later of which was my man of match with an excellent display on the left wing.
I am hoping to see Thetford at home on the 10th August to face local rivals Walsham-le-Willows, and will try and make the away game on the 3rd against Wroxham if I can make it back from a work trip to the West Midlands on time, and I hope to be back at The Pit to see Lakenheath also face off against Walsham. All-in-all, I think and I hope that both teams will go well this season and do the area proud, so, UP THE TOWN and UP THE HEATH!!
Line-Ups:
LAKENHEATH: Charlie Beckwith, Finn Logan, Sam Peters, Sam Hawley, Dean Grogan, Casey Underwood, Alex McIntosh, Lee Hammond, Shaun Avis, Reece Clarke, Tom Thulborn. SUBS: Nick Castellan, Kelvin Enaro, Brandon Morris, Jack Slater, Teddy Webber.
THETFORD TOWN: Frank Gammon, Ross Bailey, Andrew Cusack, Sam Bond, Nathan Clarke, Jake Mann, Artur Visocanskis, Bernardo Felgueiras, Michael Campbell, Joao Varela, Ryan Fuller. SUBS: John 'Shaggy' Taylor, Kristian Dixon, Maxwell Williams, Joshua Mann, Macauley Rodgers
There as a neutral. Great report, see mine on non league matters, forum, written earlier.