16th March 2024
Thetford Town vs Downham Town @ Mundford Road - Thetford
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 140
Half-time score: Thetford Town 3-2 Downham Town
Goals:
Thetford Town: Diggens - 8', 20'
Downham Town: McQuaid - 24' (P)
Thetford Town: E. Smith - 30'
Downham Town: Moore - 45'
Final Score: Thetford Town 3-2 Downham Town
With the play-off race tighter than ever, this afternoon saw Thetford Town host play-off rivals in Downham Town. The reverse fixture was a convincing 4-2 win for Downham, and having recently pummeled an organised Mulbarton Wanderers team 5-1 last weekend, Thetford had their work cut out for them. Danger men for Downham are Fletcher Toll, James Moore and Eoin McQuaid, a powerful front line for the Thetford back-line to square up too, and exceeding quick on the break. Despite this, the pressure was on for Downham to win as they were currently the team missing out on play-offs, so hopefully this would play into Thetford's hands.
Today's programme had keeper Tom Smith on the front cover, with last weeks match report in the centrefold, a 2-0 victory over Brantham Athletic.
It was warm sunny day, but by late afternoon is was milder and overcast, but perfect for todays much anticipated fixture. Thetford Town lined up in their claret & blue, with Downham Town in their away white and blue strip. I recognised their sponsors, Charmed Interiors, as the same ones on the King's Lynn Town shirts for the past few seasons.
KEY MOMENTS
TT = Thetford Town
DT = Downham Town
8' - TT - GOAL (1-0) - Money wins the ball in midfield and passes to King who drives through the middle, having drawn in all the defenders he then shuffles it out to Diggens on the left who takes the ball into the box, sets himself and hits a crisp accurate shot across McAnally to bury the ball into the bottom right corner, brilliant start for Thetford in this huge game!
16' - TT - This time it is Elliot Smith who steals the ball and he finds Olpin bursting down the right, he cuts it back to Elliot who takes a touch and powers in a stinging strike, it has McAnally beaten but smashes into the post and out, so close!
20' - TT - GOAL (2-0) - Thetford make it two! Thetford break, a long clearing ball from Haylett finds lone striker Diggens in the centre circle, he holds it up brilliantly and slides it out to King charging down the left, he travels right up the pitch and takes the ball into the box, jinking about and evading multiple challenges, before he drives in a low ball at the near-post which is flicked in by Diggens for his brace, a flying start for the boys in claret and blue.
24' - DT - PENALTY & GOAL (2-1) - Downham respond well and peg one back quickly. Downham's own midfield maestro McQuaid goes on a mazy run from the right, he gets into the box and is taken out by a bit of a clumsy challenge. It did feel like McQuaid went down a bit too easy, but it was a penalty in my eyes on balance. McQuaid stepped up and sent Tom Smith the wrong way to blast the ball into the net, good pen.
30' - TT - GOAL (3-1) - Immediate response from Thetford to restore their two-goal cushion. A ball is crossed into the box, Jake Mann artistically flicks the ball back into the centre to find Elliot Smith steaming in and he heads the ball into the net, never in doubt, wasn't going to be stopped from there!
32' - TT - A Cameron King corner is met by an unmarked Elliot Smith, whose glancing header flies narrowly wide.
43' - TT - Haylett wins a header in midfield, it is immediately dinked over the top by Diggens to release King down the right, he gets into the box and shoots across the keeper, but McAnally gets down well to make the stop.
45' - DT - GOAL (3-2) - A swift counter through McQuaid down the left, he does well to beat his man then square it into the danger area, it is on a plate for Moore, but Tom Smith makes an outrageous stop with his outstretched leg, but the ball deflects off Moore and goes in anyway, really unlucky for Tom there, deserved to keep that one out, but great time to score for Downham Town just before the break.
57' - DT - A nervier second-half, the first decent chance going to Downham. They win the ball on the by-line then shuffle it across the edge of the box quickly, the strike coming in from Watts-Sturrock, between the legs of the tracking Cameron King, but luckily straight at Tom for a relatively comfortable save.
66' - TT - Haylett goes on one of his trademark pacey runs in from the right, he gets into the box and is taken out, but the referee gives him a card for simulation. Baffling really, did not see much difference between this one and the Downham penalty in all honesty.....
82' - TT - From a Downham corner, Olpin sweeps up the loose ball and pings forwards a brilliant ball for Diggens to chase. Diggens uses his paces to get to the ball first, he drives forwards then squares back to the open Olpin who had sprinted forwards, but there is a bit of pace lacking on the ball allowing the defender to get there first, but Thetford win a corner, which they waste.
87' - DT - Downham are peppering the Thetford box, a powerful strikes comes in forcing a wonderblock from Elliot Smith to prevent the goal, literally putting his body on the line, great work from the midfield general!
91' - TT - A long ball is lumped forward, the defender misjudges and flicks the ball on to release Diggens, just as he is about to drive through on goal, his legs are swept from underneath him and a free-kick is awarded. In the afters, a Downham player is sin-binned for decent, didn't catch who it was as he had taken off his shirt as he trudged off before I could see.
A huge result for Thetford Town, the frantic first half seeing all the games goals, the game much tighter and more pensive in the second. Thetford came out of the blocks quickly, with a new look line-up, and Diggens performed brilliantly up-top on his own, linking up well with King and scoring two goals in the first 20 minutes! In the second-half, the defenders were the stars of the show, with club captain Sam Bond putting in a performance worthy of this title, and partnering well with Josh Wells in his second game in claret and blue, two fine performances thus far! Kieran Money was everywhere today, akin to a prime N'golo Kante, Elliot Smith was solid in the middle and Haylett was a nuisance down the right all game. Against this formidable front-line, it really was a fine defensive performance, limiting them to only a few decent chances. I also loved seeing Bondy firing up the team and the crowd, certainly made the difference today. Downham Town were pinned back for a lot of the game, and when they did get more attacking play in the second, really struggled to break Thetford down, although it was clear that No.9 James Moore is a real talent, a powerful and combative centre-forward, as is McQuaid who made some wonderful probing runs. The win sees Thetford maintaining 3rd place, and putting a bit of breathing space between themselves and Downham in 6th, although the visitors still have a game in hand. Next up for Thetford is a trip to the Suffolk Coast to face Woodbridge Town, always a tough place to go, but if they play like the first half today, they should blow them away, here's to hoping, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Adam Laker, Ryan Haylett, Josh Wells, Sam Bond (C), Jake Mann, Elliot Smith, Kieran Money, Callum Olpin, Cameron King, George Diggens. SUBS: Dylan Grove, Shaun Avis, Dan Gilchrist, Malachi Wright.
DOWNHAM TOWN: Duncan McAnally, Jake Miller, Luke Reed, George Watts-Sturrock, Pat Yates (C), Matthew Castellan, Artur Visocanskis, Jack Gould, James Moore, Eoin McQuaid, Fletcher Toll. SUBS: Matthew Franks, Jacob White.
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