29th August 2023
Mildenhall Town vs Soham Town Rangers @ The Riverside Stadium - Mildenhall
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
19:45 KO
£9 entry
Attendance - 227
Half-time score: Mildenhall Town 2-0 Soham Town Rangers
Goals:
Mildenhall Town: Robson - 21'
Mildenhall Town: Kaye - 23'
Soham Town Rangers: Sharman - 66'
Mildenhall Town: Robson - 82' (P)
Mildenhall Town: Kaye - 93'
Final Score: Mildenhall Town 4-1 Soham Town Rangers
This evening, the pick of the fixtures for me was Mildenhall Town at home against Soham Town Rangers, a game pitting a much fancied team against a struggling one, but Soham were appearing to find some form of late having beaten both Hadleigh United and Eaton Socon emphatically, and add to this some local rivalry, it was set-up for a fine evening of football.
On the way in, of course I bought a programme, Barnes Print classic for £1, can't go wrong!
The game started out dry and mild, with Mildenhall Town in their home amber and black, and Soham Town Rangers in their away light blue, but around 10 minutes into the 2nd half, the heavens opened to what was a fairly heavy downpour at times, typical British August weather. It also has to be commented that the pitch looked like a carpet, I guess there are some benefits to the wetter weather!
KEY MOMENTS
MT = Mildenhall Town
STR = Soham Town Rangers
7' - MT - The ball falls to Swinton who fires in a shot from the edge of the area, but it is well blocked by Gent to prevent what looked to be a certain goal.
11' - MT - Anderson whips in a corner ball into the 6-yard box, a Mildenhall player gets a touch on the ball, looked to possibly be Kaye, but keeper Whitehall makes a fine diving save batting the ball wide with his palm.
12' - STR - Watson goes on a powerful run down the left flank, he cuts in and gets off a cross, but it looked to be looping into the top right corner of the goal, forcing Pope to stretch high to just collect the ball at full reach, close to a somewhat fortuitous opening for Soham.
21' - MT - GOAL (1-0) - Mildenhall finally break the deadlock, Call makes a nuisance of himself around the edge of the box, then squares to Robson who is open, he shoots from the edge of the box and his pinpoint strike nestles into the bottom left corner of the goal.
23' - MT - GOAL (2-0) - Mildenhall turn the screw and break through again moments later. From the right wing, Nolan crosses in a precise ball, and waiting at the back post is Kaye who makes no mistake to bury the ball into the net from close range, clinical stuff from Mildenhall.
57' - MT - Mildenhall are awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position 25 yards out. Left-footed winger Coakley steps up and hits a low effort which forces a scrambling diving save from Whitehall.
66' - STR - GOAL (2-1) - Soham have some good passages of play and get their rewards to peg Mildenhall back a goal. Nicholls whips in a diagonal ball into the box, where captain and striker Sharman gets on the end of it to confidently nod it home.
82' - MT - GOAL (3-1) - Having weathered some pressure in the driving rain, Mildenhall strike, and it all begin when substitute Robinson draws in the defence, he then sets Nolan off down the left wing, he takes the ball to the by-line then runs along it until a reckless sliding challenge comes in to take him out, and the referee wastes no time to point to the spot. Robson steps up to take the spot kick, and he powerfully hits it to the keepers left, to give Mildenhall some much needed breathing space.
88' - MT - Nolan hits in a cross from the right wing, the ball drops over the defender and falls to Robson open in the centre, he flashes in a surprised header, but it is straight down the throat of Whitehall for a comfortable save.
90' - STR - Cowie drives into the box, receives the ball and fires in a snap shot, but it is straight at Pope, a couple of yards either side would have set-up a tense finale.
92' - STR - Substitute Auger pings a high free-kick into the box, this looks to be dipping into the top left of the goal, Pope manages to get a hand on the ball, juggles it for a bit then pushes it out into safety.
93' - MT - GOAL (4-1) - The icing on the cake for Mildenhall, and the best goal of the evening. From a challenge, the ball rolls to Kaye in the middle of the park around 25yards out from goal, this gives him time to tee himself up and he hits a sublime side footed strike to curl the ball in, shaving the right hand upright enroute into the net, what a spectacular effort, keeper Whitehall had no chance of stopping that one!
Despite the scoreline, Soham Town Rangers had some good spells and caused Mildenhall Town some problems, especially as the rain began to fall. However, there was always the feeling that Mildenhall never really got out of 2nd gear, and they were clinical and potent when needed to be, to seal the 3-points with some relative comfort, to maintain their 100% start to the season. Mildenhall battled hard in midfield, and a lot of their good attacks came down the wing backs, where lots of dangerous crosses barraged the Soham goal. I think Soham are a better side than their league position suggests, having watched them twice this season, and it is also clear that Mildenhall will be one of the front runners this season, they seem to have strength in depth, and the substitutes really a made a difference in this game. Mildenhall have a big game this coming weekend, hosting one Suffolk non-leagues big boys in AFC Sudbury in an FA Cup game, should be a good one and I hope Mildenhall can get a result, will be looking out for that one!
Line-Ups:
MILDENHALL TOWN: Josh Pope (C), Ben Nolan, Darryl Coakley, Phil Weavers, Adam Capel, Jon Kaye, Jarid Robson, Callum Anderson, Kieran Twinn, Tanner Call, Simon Swinton. SUBS: Alex Steed, Tommy Robinson, Olly Hughes, Harry Bennett, Calum Bates.
SOHAM TOWN RANGERS: George Whitehall, Kai Nicholls, Valentino Alanezi, Lewis Jackaman, Jordan Gent, Lowin Hercules, Luis Cowie, Robert Cristica, Ryan Sharman (C), Jordan Chipps, Ed Watson. SUBS: Cameron Watson, Sead Zeneli, Ryan Auger, Joshua Lewis, Sam Mulready.
Comments