30th December 2023
Thetford Town vs Hadleigh United @ Mundford Road - Thetford
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 140
Half-time score: Thetford Town 1-0 Hadleigh United
Goals:
Thetford Town: Diggens - 25'
Hadleigh United: Dunlop - 59'
Thetford Town: E. Smith - 67'
Hadleigh United: Glover - 74'
Thetford Town: E. Smith - 91'
Final Score: Thetford Town 3-2 Hadleigh United
Last game of the year for Thetford Town, a year of highs and lows, some sublime football at times, narrowly missing out on promotion to Step 4 and with a big battle on their hands this season if they are to make it to the play-offs. The visitors today are Hadleigh Town, who are not having as good of a season as promised, but who are however still a good footballing side and a big threat. Amongst the squad is Akenhaton Carlos Edwards, ex-Ipswich Town player who also played in the 2006 World Cup for Trinidad and Tobago, and still a very good player at this level, I was looking forward to seeing him today. The big news for Thetford Town is the return of midfield enforcer Elliot Smith, his physicality has been missed, and I for one are glad to have him back in the squad. All-in-all, a good fixture to round off the year.
Todays Barnes Print programme had Hugh Cullum on the front, was a relief seeing him in the starting line-up after going off injured against Walsham-le-Willows.
It was a mild and dry evening with the ground slightly damp after some earlier rain. For the final game of 2023, Thetford Town lined up in claret and blue, with Hadleigh Town in their away yellow shirts.
KEY MOMENTS
TT = Thetford Town
HU = Hadleigh United
17' - HU - Captain Carlos Edwards picks up a loose ball on the edge of the box and fires in a strike just wide of the post.
18' - TT - On his return, captain Elliot Smith uses his strength to get past the defender, allowing him to burst through on goal, but keeper Punter is out quickly to block the incoming shot, good save.
25' - TT - GOAL (1-0) - Thetford Town break the deadlock. Gilchrist slips Diggens in down the right, the blocked effort falls to Gilchrist in the middle whose effort is parried away by the keeper, Avis picks up the loose ball on the left and his shot is also saved, the ball pings into the air where Elliot Smith wins his header and Diggens emphatically volleys the ball into the net to finally beat Punter.
36' - TT - Gilchrist finds Olpin on the edge of the area, he has a crack at the Hadleigh goal, the well-struck effort forcing a dramatic save from Punter, unlucky.
46' - HU - A calamity from Thetford at the back almost gifts Hadleigh an early goal after the break. A mix-up at the back allows Dunlop to steal the ball, he feeds the open Glover whose shot beats Tom Smith, slamming into the far-post and cleared off-the-line by Cullum, how did he miss? Huge let-off for Thetford Town!
56' - TT - Diggens bursts into the box from the right, and at some pace he is taken out by a loose Hadleigh leg. The referee points to the penalty spot but after a discussion with the linesman, alters his decision to award a corner. Looked a poor decision from where I was sat, but the linesman was closer to the incident.
59' - HU - GOAL (1-1) - An quick break from Hadleigh sees winger Lloyd Clarke take advantage of the open space, created by Jake Mann slipping over, bursting forwards he cuts deep quickly down the right, squares to captain Carlos Edwards in the middle who immediately shifts it out left to find Dunlop open, he takes the ball into the box and clinically slots it across the on-rushing Tom Smith, burying the ball into the side-netting to equalise for Hadleigh, a sore moment for Thetford after the reversed penalty shout.
62' - HU - Hadleigh almost take the lead, a ball in is picked up by the No.9 Glover at the far-post, a great shimmy sees him wrong-foot the on-coming defender and blast in an immediate shot at his near-post, this forces a brilliant save from Tom Smith who turns the ball onto the woodwork and out.
67' - TT - GOAL (2-1) - Thetford regain the lead! Laker and substitute King link-up well down the left, this frees up King to probe into the box, he then lays the ball back to find the returning Elliot Smith who immediately hits a side-footed effort directly into the bottom right-hand corner, absolute pin-point accuracy to evade the diving Punter, its certainly great to see him back!
71' - HU - A fine touch from Edwards sees the ground open up for him, seeing this he elects to shoot from 25 yards, the effort is well-struck but flies just over the bar.
73' - HU - Hadleigh break fast from a Thetford corner through Andrews, he is able to find Dunlop coming in off the left whose effort is batted away by Tom Smith for a corner.
74' - HU - GOAL (2-2) - From the corner, Hadleigh maintain pressure in the Thetford half down the left, Lloyd Clarke eventually lofts a ball over to find captain Edwards on the left, a dropped shoulder sees him open the space allowing him to deliver the perfect ball to find Glover in the middle, whose text book header flies into the goal, amazing how easy it is with a ball in like that!
91' - TT - GOAL (3-2) - Haylett somehow keeps the ball in play down the right with a sliding effort, back on his feet he finds King who darts in and squares the ball into the danger area. The ball evades the first Thetford attacker, but the scraps are hoovered up by none other than captain Elliot Smith, who on his returns buries the ball into the net to secure what could be a late winner for Thetford! What a performance from the Thetford stalwart to cap off a brilliant return!
93' - HU - Late drama as Thetford concede a free-kick just outside the box, in the centre. Of course, it is ex-international Carlos Edwards who steps up the take the set-piece. A venomous flat strike is powered in, had it had been on target it would have beaten Tom Smith, but luckily it is just wide of the post.
What a brilliant game that was to sign-off on 2023. Two evenly matched teams who both went at it in a game that could have gone either way. But in the end, the returning Elliot Smith sealed the win for Thetford Town with two great finishes, sealing an important 3-points for Thetford Town, elevating them back into the play-off places! And what a fine performance from Elliot Smith, his two goals just rewards. Special mentions to Diggens too who after a long period starting on the bench earned his place today with a dangerous performance, being a nuisance down the right all game, and bagging a brilliant volley as his reward, and King who was a handful off the bench, bagging two assists. Hadleigh United certainly helped make this a good game, stand out players for me were Dunlop, Lloyd Clarke, the keeper Punter and of course, the legend that is Carlos Edwards, who also got two assists. Next up for Thetford lies a daunting trip to Mildenhall Town, but if the recent Newmarket Town result is anything to go by, a good performance could see them get an unlikely result down the A11, here's to hopeing, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
THETFORD TOWN: Tom Smith, Adam Laker, Ryan Haylett, Jaydyn Lott, Hugh Cullum, Jake Mann, Elliot Smith (C), Callum Olpin, George Diggens, Shaun Avis, Dan Gilchrist. SUBS: Cameron King, Sam Bond, Dylan Grove, Dylan Kirk, Macauley Rodgers.
HADLEIGH UNITED: Nick Punter, Lloyd Clarke, Tom Warren, George Bowman, Sam Mills, Alfie Carroll, Oliver Dunlop, Carlos Edwards (C), Joel Glover, Kyron Andrews, Asa Milliard. SUBS: Josh Hubert, Aaron Okpolokpo, Tyler Curtis, Harry Wales, Steve Holder.
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