14th May 2024
Mulbarton Wanderers vs Thetford Town @ Mulberry Park - Mulbarton
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division - Play-Off Semi-Final (Step 5)
19:45 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - TBA
Half-time score: Mulbarton Wanderers 2-0 Thetford Town
Goals:
Mulbarton Wanderers: Easton - 27'
Mulbarton Wanderers: Jarvis - 34'
Thetford Town: Fuller - 73'
Final Score: Mulbarton Wanderers 2-1 Thetford Town
Well, back here again to replay the play-off semi-final, after over two weeks of drama and controversy. What exactly has fully occurred is unknown as the TNL have not put out any official statements at this moment in time, and I am hesitant to speculate. However, Thetford Town were accused of fielding an ineligible player in Thetford's amazing 2-0 victory on the 27th April and dumped out of the final. But, due to overwhelming evidence from Thetford Town, the FA re-instated them, but advised that the semi-final was replayed. This could and should have happened this Saturday gone, in what was a gloriously sunny afternoon, however the TNL decided to force Thetford to replay their final league game against Heacham. About a day after this perplexing announcement, the fixture was cancelled, but it was too late to arrange the semi-final for the Saturday gone, so it has ended up being played this evening under the floodlights.
All I know with this situation is that Thetford Town are an honest club, a club with integrity, and would never knowingly cheat. The player who was ineligible was at another club when the incident occurred, namely Newmarket Town (coincidentally the team waiting to host the final), and I don't know the in's and out's, but there appears to have been an admin error somewhere along the line. The FA need to look at their systems over the summer break, there have been multiple similar incidents across the non-league pyramid, and cases where banned players have played several games before the clubs were informed, it is simply not acceptable. Behind the scenes of a club, a lot of people pour their heart and soul into the running of the club, and such incidents cause a lot of upset and anguish. Non-league football is supposed to be fun, a welcome retreat from the modern lunacy of Premier League football, but things like this don't do it any favours, and I'm sure this turns people off at a time when non-league football is supposed to be on the rise! My thoughts go to all involved with Thetford Town FC, the staff, the players and the volunteers. I am simply a fan, but the recent episode has certainly been frustrating for me, I can't imagine how it has been for everyone else.
Nevertheless, here we were tonight, at least 90 minutes of football to be played, the winner getting the chance to play Newmarket Town, the winner of the final climbing up to Step 4 football. Thetford comprehensively won the last game, but Mulbarton would be up for revenge, the slightly slippery conditions perhaps favouring their physical, direct brand of football. It was sure to be one hell of a battle, the pent up frustrations of the last couple of weeks coming to the fore, the Thetford Town fans in good numbers yet again. Before the game, a minutes silence was impeccably respected in memory former Thetford Town chairman Mick Bailey who sadly passed on the weekend, RIP.
KEY MOMENTS
MW = Mulbarton Wanderers
TT = Thetford Town
13' - MW - A late challenge on keeper Tom Smith by Ben Thompson looks a certain yellow card, but the referee just gives the player a talking to.
25' - MW - Another poor foul by Mulbarton, this time Jones on Money in the centre circle. Again, no card, just a chat.
26' - TT - Of course! First Thetford foul, first yellow card! No little chat for Thetford, straight to the book for Grove. It was a yellow for his tug in Jarvis, but where is the consistency?
27' - MW - GOAL (1-0) - Mulbarton score from the free-kick conceded by Grove, the ball is whipped in by Baird and Easton is not covered at the far post and his side footed volley from close range gives the hosts and early lead.
34' - MW - GOAL (2-0) - The ball is pumped forward, a mis-clearance from Lott allows Jarvis to cut clean through, but despite Bondy's best efforts to cover, the TNL top scorer slots the ball beyond Tom Smith and into the net, nightmare start for Thetford, big hill to climb now.
40' - MW - SIN BIN - Baird is sent to the sin bin for dissent, as Mulbarton looked to get another Thetford player carded.
42' - MW - There is a chase for a long ball down the right, substitute Fuller, on for the injured Lott, there is a tangle of legs with Thompson who goes down, and Thetford receive another yellow......
44' - TT - A turn and volley from King at the edge of the box is struck sweetly, forcing a fantastic diving save from Tom Wright. Had that gone in it would have completely changed the complexion of the game, big moment,
54' - TT - Gilchrist goes on a great run down the left, he cuts into the box, jinks past several challenges, he squares the ball into the middle where Avis is just short of getting a touch on the ball, so close!
58' - TT - Grove blazes down the left and crosses in the ball, Avis gets a strong head on the ball, but his effort flies just wide of the post, agonisingly close.
72' - TT - Grove again down the left, running the defenders ragged with wonderful step-overs and cut-backs, he gets into the box and to the byline and squares back to Avis who scuffs his effort.
73' - TT - GOAL (2-1) - Thetford deservedly get one back, a corner ball is taken quickly to Grove, he lays it back to Olpin who floats the ball into the far post where it is blasted in off the forehead of Fuller, clinical! He immediately grabs the ball and runs to the centre circle, plenty of time to find an equaliser.
75' - TT - A short throw in is picked up by Gilchrist, on the left he turns and runs into the box, with the space opened up he wraps his foot around the ball to curl it in at the far-post, but his effort is millimeters wide!
76' - MW - Ben Jones receives a yellow for a bad challenge, should really have been his second yellow....
77' - TT - Gilchrist has a strike at the near-post, it is deflected but Tom Wright gets down well to turn it around the post.
79' - TT - Fuller wins the ball in middle and mid-stride unleashes a howitzer of a strike from 35 yards, it is looks to be heading in under the cross bar but Wright makes a fantastic leap to make the save, Gilchrist picks up the loose ball on the left and powers in a strike that is just wide and flies into the side-netting.
86' - TT - Another lightning bolt of a strike from Fuller, this time from a closer 25 yards out as the space opens up for him, this is also arrowing in, forcing another diving save from Wright, the keeper really keeping Mulbarton in this one! Gilchrist picks up the loose ball and wins a corner.
97' - TT - A tempting through-ball sees a foot race between keeper Wright and Dan Gilchrist, Dan gets there first and pokes the ball towards goal, it is rolling in but defender Wenn gets back to make a sliding clearance off the line, Thetford literally inches from taking the game to penalties! What a cruel, cruel game, sigh.
A gutting result for Thetford Town, the damage was done in the first lacklustre 35 minutes, but their heads can be held high, they absolutely battered Mulbarton in the 2nd half playing attractive attacking football, and deserved at least a draw, in fact enough chances were created to win the game in all honesty. This is how football should be played, and Thetford Town are arguably the best in the league at this, on their day, something the whole club should be rightfully proud of. The players left everything out there, and Dylan Grove in particular was simply phenomenal down the left, one of the performances of the season. Also gutted Fuller is leaving, he scored the goal and had a couple of cracking long ranges strikes that tested the Mulbarton keeper, his influence will be sorely missed! I will keep this short and sweet, I hope Thetford are able to regroup and attack next season, no reason why we shouldn't be in the mix again, see you all in pre-season in July and enjoy the break, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
MULBARTON WANDERERS: Tom Wright, Kieran Smith, Tom Hunter, James Page (C), Joe Easton, Billy Wenn, Owen Lane, Ben Jones, Ben Thompson, Ashley Jarvis, Tom Baird. SUBS: Dom Doggett, Noah Hunt, Elliot Altay, Peter Lambert, Josh Pond.
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Ryan Haylett, Sam Bond (C), Jaydyn Lott, Dylan Grove, Kieran Money, Elliot Smith, Callum Olpin, Cameron King, Dan Gilchrist, Shaun Avis. SUBS: Malachi Wright, Ryan Fuller, George Diggens, Jake Mann, Adam Laker.
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