16th April 2022
Thetford Town vs Whitton United @ Mundford Road - Thetford
Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)
15:00 KO
£7 entry
Attendance - 64
Half-time score: Thetford Town 2-0 Whitton United
Goals:
Thetford Town: Gilchrist - 37'
Thetford Town: Cusack - 43'
Thetford Town: Gilchrist - 48'
Thetford Town: Campbell - 52'
Thetford Town: Campbell - 61'
Thetford Town: Felgueiras - 87'
Leigh Simons recorded the goals, see the links below:
Final Score: Thetford Town 6-0 Whitton United
This afternoon I was back at the Mundford Road, on a glorious sunny Easter weekend, on what was a huge day for Thetford Town. With three games remaining, and a 4-point gap to the final relegation spot, a win today could ensure safety if Long Melford were to also lose, so there was a lot at stake! Long Melford were up against Norwich United - who in 5th place are clearly a good team, but playing for nothing, which could bode well for Long Melford. In contrast, Whitton United are only 1 place above Thetford and only 6 points above the relegation zone, so they would have also been looking to secure some points, so Thetford were in for a battle today.
Despite the pressure, Thetford got off to a great start, and should have been 1-0 up in the 3rd minute, a neat touch from a clearance by Gilchrist released Campbell, he was through 1-on-1, but fired wide across the face of goal. In the 8th minute, Town went painfully close again, a cross in from Visocanskis was met by Cusack at the far post but he shot wide, and it is just as well as the flag was raised for offside despite him being onside, it was Campbell who was offside, but he checked his run to not interfere with the play. Although Thetford were on-top, there were a few silly mistakes slipping in at the back, and in the 9th minute, a sliced clearance from Bond fell to Lloyd Clarke, he played Wright in at the far post, but he took an odd touch, allowing Bond the time to recover and clear the ball out for a corner.
Following the error at the back, Thetford tightened up the ship, and began to hit Whitton with a series of well placed long-balls and attacks down the wings. In the 11th minute, Lake released Cusack down the left-wing, he put in a dangerous ball that was heading for Campbell in the middle of the box, but keeper Spurling came out to bat away the ball just before Campbell was able to connect. In the 17th minute, a well worked short corner between Lake and Gilchrist allowed Lake to whip the ball in, and a glancing header from Visocanskis unfortunately travelled straight to the keeper, and in the 22nd minute, a Cusack corner was headed wide by Elliot Smith.
It was starting to feel like Thetford would regret the missed chances, but instead of rueing these, they kicked it up a gear and attacked Whitton at will, creating a whole host of chances. In the 27th minute, another long ball released Cusack down the left wing, he fired in another dangerous ball, Gilchrist had got in front of his man, and hit the ball from close range, forcing an impressive diving save from Spurling to force the ball out for a corner. Lake took this, and it was met by captain Bond, but his effort went wide. In the 29th minute, a venomous strike from Lake was blocked and out for a corner, which he took, and it was met by Smith again, his header seemingly blocked by what looked to be a Whitton defenders shoulder. In the 31st minute, Campbell put a great ball in across the box, Cusack met it at the far post but his rather tame effort was saved. In the 33rd minute, a long ball from Lake released Visocanskis down the right wing, he put the ball in to Gilchrist who juggled with it and made the room to turn and shoot, but his effort at the near post was well saved.
Just when it looked like Thetford were doomed to not hit the back of the net today, in the 37th minute, Bond unleashed Campbell, he squared the ball to Gilchrist who took a touch across the keeper and slid the ball home to rapturous applause from the Thetford faithful.
Thetford smelt blood and pushed for another goal, not giving Whitton any time or space on the ball. In the 40th minute, a classic big headed clearance from player-manager Matt Morton was picked up by Campbell, he burst through, fired a shot across goal and it was deflected out for a corner. In the 42nd minute, Cusack lashed in a shot from outside the box, it hit Gilchrist, but he controlled it, turned and shot the ball towards goal, forcing yet another save from Spurling. In the 43rd minute, the pressure paid off when a clever long looping ball from Mann found Cusack in a high position, the ball bounced next to him, and whilst running in, he hit the ball on the half-volley, across the keeper and into the side-netting, the keeper had no chance, and Thetford were sensationally 2-0 up. As Thetford pushed for a third, there was a potential red card moment when the Whitton player went into a 50/50 challenge with his studs up, a real ankle breaker, and he was lucky not to injure Elliot Smith, and only see a yellow. Elliot also saw a yellow for his understandable reaction to the dangerous challenge. After a protracted talk from the referee, play continued and the referee almost immediately blew for half-time, with Thetford carrying a precious 2-0 lead.
In the second half, normal service resumed, with Thetford in the ascendancy, and it did not take them long to begin carving out more chances in the sun. In the 47th minute, Campbell was through down the left, but Spurling stood his ground well, and Campbell's effort went wide of the far post. Moments later, in the 48th minute, Visocanskis threaded a ball through for Gilchrist, who with his first touch hit it across the keeper and into the side-netting giving Thetford the all important first goal of the second half, and a big 3-0 lead. Not long after, in the 52nd minute, a clinical Thetford slotted home the 4th, Mann battled for the ball, came out on top, swung in a pin-point cross towards the far-post for Campbell to head the ball past the flailing Spurling, Thetford were in dream land!
A ruthless Thetford did not let up, Whitton were a broken team, and Thetford went hunting for more goals. In the 54th minute, Cusack was through down the left, bursting into the box, and as he was about to strike, a great covering tackle from Lloyd Clarke pushed the ball out for a corner. In the 57th minute, Felgueiras drove a low ball into the box, it took a deflection, looped into the air, and Campbell leapt the highest to direct his headed towards goal, but Spurling got down well to keep it out. However, it was not long until the 5th went in, a long ball from Lake unleashed Campbell, he cut back to wrong foot captain Wiggins, and from close range he blasted home in front of the jubilant crowd.
Whitton were a spent force, and despite a round of Thetford substitutions, Thetford's dominance continued. Almost immediately, in the 64th minute, substitute Varela showed some sublime skill to ghost into the box, he slid Gilchrist through, and seeing Spurling off his line he tried to dink it over him, but his effort went narrowly over, nestling into the top of the net. In the 72nd minute, a whipped in ball from Varela bounced just in front of Campbell in the middle of the goal, and from an awkward height, Campbell was only able to hook it over. In the 74th minute, Campbell charged down the left-wing, he squared the ball across to young substitute Davies who had made a good run, and with his first touch, his effort was narrowly wide of the upright. In the 75th minute, another substitute, Delgado, pinged a long diagonal ball across to Mann, he controlled the ball and powered in a 20-yard strike that was well saved by Spurling.
The frantic game hit a lull for 10minutes, until Thetford stepped it up again, looking to equal or better their result against Swaffham Town at home, and in the 87th minute they broke through again with what was probably the pick of the goals. Some great skill from Felgueiras saw him run across the edge of the box, he managed to squeeze out enough room for a shot and cracked home a sweet left-footed strike that rifled into the corner of the goal, a sublime effort, and 6-0 to Thetford. In the 90th minute, Gilchrist looked to complete his hat-trick, Varela put him through on goal, and with Spurling backtracking, it looked to be a sure-fire goal, but as he struck the ball, it hit a bobble and his effort was more akin to a rugby conversion, that he and the crowd saw the funny side of. With the game drawing to a close, in the last minute of stoppage time, Delgado found Campbell in the box, he tried to complete his hat-trick with a turn and shot that was saved, the ball fell to Davies who fired in his own effort, which was also saved, and after that, the final whistle went to seal the 3-points for Thetford Town with an emphatic victory.
After the game, eyes immediately went straight to Twitter, and it soon became clear that Long Melford were beaten 3-0 by Norwich United, meaning the Thetford were mathematically safe, and remain in the all important Eastern Counties Premier League for another season, with 2 games to spare! I thought it could down to the wire, so I was incredibly relieved, whilst at the same time confused how this group of players were only down in 15th, from the play seen today, they should be at least mid-table, but a few results had not quite gone their way in the long, tough season. But, what a way to seal their position in Step 5, a completely dominant display, and if they were more clinical, it could have easily been double-figures for the Town. To a man the players were immense today, rock solid at the back bar a couple of early wobbles, completely dominant in midfield with attacking threats down both wings and through the middle, Whitton did not know what to do and were like deer in the headlights to the dynamic and varied play from Thetford. Four players were up for player of the year, Visocanskis, Smith, Bond and Mann, and all done their bid no harm today, and I am looking forward to seeing who picks up the prize, all are clearly deserving. I will be at Thetford's next game, away at Ely City in the Demcom Stadium on Monday, after only a short 2 day turnaround from today, I am just glad that a result is not needed, hopefully it will be a nice stress free enjoyable afternoon of football. Again, congratulations to all the Thetford Town players, coaching team, Chairman and club officials for all their hard work to keep Thetford up, I know the fans certainly appreciate it, and I look forward to Monday, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
THETFORD TOWN: Macauley Rodgers, Sam Bond (C), Matt Morton, Elliot Smith, Andrew Cusack, Jordan Lake, Jake Mann, Artur Visocanskis, Bernardo Felgueiras, Michael Campbell, Dan Gilchrist. SUBS: Marley Delgado, Santi Davies, Joao Varela, John Taylor, Daniel Williams.
WHITTON UNITED: Jack Spurling, Lloyd Clarke, Connor Moore, Jamal Wiggins (C), George Bowman, Logan Bell, Cates, Noah Harewood, Ronaldo Wright, Liam Wales, Donel Wright. SUBS: George Reid, Lucas Vance, Kevin Inglis
Watched the highlights on You Tube of which there were many. Thetford could easily have scored 12. Well done to everybody associated with Thetford Town on staying up and well done to James and Leigh for the superb coverage of not just Thetford but of the local non league football scene.