Thetford take the spoils

An entertaining afternoon's sport for all spectating at Shoemakers Lane saturday, two teams playing similar styles of football and wanting to use the ball rather than kick and run. The Pedlars without the Ridgeons experienced David Spalding and Scott Voutt, Aaron Clifford out with the injury picked up in the opening minute of last saturday, the broken bone side-lining him for several weeks to come. The home side started well, Will O'Brien returning after a trip to Australia coming close in the fourth minute, his shot deflected over the Thetford bar. Joe Jackson steering a free kick just over in the twelth minute. Thetford winning a corner in the 15th minutethe clearance running out for a throw in, quickly taken the number eight running and shooting, the shot deflected for a further corner, easily cleared by the Swaffham defence. The opening goal came in the 21st minute a ball played in from the right side, headed away but the clearance picked up and netted in the bottom right corner. It should have been two, threee minutes later, Dean 'Rocky' Mayes saving brilliantly from a Thetford penalty. However, a scramble from the resulting corner provided the chance to make good. Not phased by the scoreline, the Pedlars battled on. Hope restored in the 30th minute, a driven run by Luke Fell to the right hand corner, the ball passed back to Dwayne Hockton, who floated a shot beating the keeper netting at the back post. Pressure applied in the closing quarter of an hour of the half was absorbed by the visitors, the best opportunity in the 43rd minute, O'Brien playing a free kick into the box, Jackson unable to steer the ball goalward, his effort wide of the post.

The second half saw chances come and go for both sides, the keepers supporting and bracing their defences, Thetford's third goal came in the 59th minute, a second penalty, although Mayes got a hand to it, the shot too strong to be kept out.

With respect to County Cup competitions this season, it now remains with Swaffham Town Veterans who play next Sunday hosting Norton Athletic in the Norfolk Veterans Cup, kick off 1.45pm.

The First Team are away to Cambridge University Press next Saturday, k/o 3pm and then travel to Mildenhall Tuesday 25 October in the League Challenge Cup Round 1, kick off 7.45pm. The Reserves travel to South Walsham in the Cyril Ballyn Trophy, k/o 1.30pm, the 'A' Team at home to Feltwell United, kick off 3pm.