20th February 2024
Thetford Town vs Dereham Town @ Mundford Road - Thetford
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
19:45 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 234
Half-time score: Thetford Town 1-1 Dereham Town
Goals:
Thetford Town: Mann - 21'
Dereham Town: Skipper - 24'
Dereham Town: Buttle - 69'
Final Score: Thetford Town 1-2 Dereham Town
With Thetford Town having had a break in the fixtures this last Saturday, and with the Lakenheath cup game cancelled again, it has been 10 days since their last game against Mulbarton Wanderers. Tonight's opponents are another one of the teams in the play-off mix, one of the pre-season favourites Dereham Town, and with both teams situated in Breckland, this was sure to be a fiery one. Whilst Thetford Town were 3rd in the table at kick-off, they are only 4 points safe in the play-offs, with 7th place Dereham Town one of the big threats with 2 games in hand, in theory able to leapfrog Thetford Town if they win both of those. Therefore, a win for Thetford today would put some much needed space between them as they look to secure a play-off place in the final third of the season. This was a big Tuesday night game against a very strong Dereham Town, a team Thetford Town have struggled against in recent history and with some familiar faces in the line-up in Max Melanson and Jordan Lake.
This evening Barnes Print programme had Callum Olpin on the front cover.
It was a wet evening, eventually clearing in the second-half, but the pitch held up well considering. Thetford Town lined up in their claret & blue, with Dereham Town in their away green kit.
KEY MOMENTS
TT = Thetford Town
DT = Dereham Town
19' - TT - Thetford Town are awarded a free-kick 30 yards out. King steps up and surprisingly has a crack from that range, his low strike is beautifully hit and arrowing into the bottom right corner of the goal, Coombe gets down well to make the save and Jaydyn Lott is unable to capitalise on the follow-up, his effort blazed over the target.
21' - TT - GOAL (1-0) - Haylett is found down the right, he whips in a perfect ball towards the far-post, Avis gets his head on the ball and it drops down to Jake Mann who blasts in from close range to give Thetford an early lead, well deserved after all their early pressure.
24' - DT - GOAL (1-1) - Thetford are quick to drop their hard-earned lead, the goal coming from a poorly conceded corner from a Thetford Town throw-in. The initial ball is cleared, but as it is recycled striker Clarke has the ball in the box his back to goal, he turns and shoots, his skewed effort falling to captain Chris Skipper at the far post to knock the ball into the gaping net from close range. Thetford only have themselves to blame for that one.
28' - TT - From a Thetford corner, after the initial clearance, captain Elliot Smith darts into the box, he is taken out on the edge of the area, the referee waves play on and a snap shot is fired in (I didn't catch who by as I was looking to the ref for a possible penalty), forcing Coombe to get down low to his right to make a stop.
32' - TT - Dan Gilchrist, on early for Cameron King, chips a lovely ball over the top for Elliot Smith to chase, he is able to find Avis in the middle, but a well-timed sliding tackle stops the shot just as he was about to pull the trigger, surely a goal-saving tackle from the Dereham defence.
33' - DT - A quick break from Dereham, a 25 yard shot is blocked and spins out to Pitcher on the right, he takes the ball forwards and leathers in a 20 yard effort across the face of goal, it is heading in, but keeper Tom Smith makes a strong diving save to parry the ball out for a corner.
61' - TT - Thetford have the first decent chance of the 2nd half, Haylett and Mann link up well down the right, Mann is released, he drives into the box and squares to the waiting captain Elliot Smith in the middle of the box, but the ball bobbles just before he shoots and his effort flies harmlessly over the bar.
69' - DT - GOAL (1-2) - Dereham score at the critical point of the second half, some lax Thetford defending sees ex-Thetford Max Melanson win possession deep in the Thetford half, the ball is passed quickly from the right to the left to find Buttle in the box, and with seemingly acres of space, he fires in a shot across the face of goal, it beats Tom, crashes into the post and in.
72' - DT - Dereham nearly crush any hopes of a Thetford comeback, a quick break sees ex-Thetford Lake through on goal, he looks to have rounded Tom Smith in the melee, but somehow Tom is able to cover back and make a fine save, the ball trickling out for a corner.
79' - TT - Substitute Laker attacks down the left and has a shot parried away, Jake Mann tries to follow-up but is closed down quickly by the scrambling Dereham backline.
90' - DT - Dereham nearly add a final flourish, on the break, Buttle finds the ball in the box down the left again, and in a near carbon copy to his goal, he shoots across the goal, beats the keeper and hits the post, this time the ball deflecting out rather than in, showing the fine margins involved!
What is it about Thetford Town and disappointing Tuesday night performances? What started off so positively, Thetford dominating the early possession and working their goal well, sees some poor game management creeping in to gift Dereham the chance of a quick equaliser. It was a familiar story in the 2nd half, lots of possession but a lack of cutting play as they struggled to break Dereham down, whilst simultaneously looking vulnerable on the counter, Buttle given far too much time to take his goal. Credit to Dereham Town as they defended valiantly, closing space quickly and cutting out neat Thetford through-balls, with Buttle's pinpoint strike proving the difference in the end. The loss weakens Thetford's position in the play-off places, the next game a tricky away game at Brantham Athletic, with it now even more important to get a response and a result to help right the wrongs of tonight, come on lads, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Ryan Haylett, Dylan Grove, Jaydyn Lott, Hugh Cullum, Jake Mann, Elliot Smith (C), Kieran Money, Callum Olpin, Shaun Avis, Cameron King. SUBS: Dan Gilchrist, Adam Laker, George Diggens, Ryan Fuller, Sam Bond.
DEREHAM TOWN: Thomas Coombe, Harry Pitcher, Harvey Gilham, Max Melanson, Sam Watts, Chris Skipper (C), Rhys Logan, Jordan Lake, Charlie Clarke, Bradley Spooner, Jordan Buttle. SUBS: Andy Eastaugh, Jamie North, Joseph Gascoigne, Mac Gee, Kyle Kelly.
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