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Tuesday 29th December 2009

THETFORD TOWN 1, BLOATERS 1

On a night best spent beside the home fireside, Yarmouth and Thetford played out a 1-1 draw in torrential rain with both goals coming in the closing minutes. It meant the end of the Bloaters’ run of straight league wins which had amounted to ten on Boxing Day, but the point increased their lead at the top of the division to five points with FC Clacton having a game in hand.  

More importantly, the result increased the gap between Yarmouth and fourth-placed Diss Town to 15 points with Robert Taylor’s side having played a game more than the Bloaters.. The top three have all lost only one game each: in games between the sides, FC Clacton have beaten both Yarmouth and Brantham while the latter two drew at the Wellesley. The key return matches are due to take place before the end of February: Clacton face Brantham at home on January 2^nd, with Brantham entertaining Yarmouth on January 30^th; Yarmouth then visit Clacton on February 27^th. 

With the best-placed of the challengers having lost four games, it’s beginning to look like these three have it all to lose with the following pack only able to hope for some slip-ups. 

Despite the horrendously wet and cold conditions at Thetford, both sides put on a skilful show with not a great deal of weather-enforced error. Yarmouth dominated the first half and then half of the second period but the Bloaters were to regret a catalogue of missed chances. 

Stewart Roach hit the Thetford bar after only six minutes but it was a difficult snapshot with the leading scorer falling back as he struck the ball. In a rare Thetford attack, Steve Davies missed a golden opportunity around twenty minutes, hitting harmlessly wide when under no challenge. 

Yarmouth won corner after corner, and sent in a stream of crosses through Ollie Savage and Scott Woodcock all of which went unconverted. From Yarmouth’s fourth corner, Jake Reed, restored to the starting line-up after his courageous display against Gorleston, got in a delightful back-heel but home captain and ‘keeper Mark Bouden just kept it out. 

Jonny King showed he was not afraid to attack strongly down the right and he won another abortive corner, as did Woodcock who then put a long cross onto the roof of the net. The Thetford attack was well-blunted by Martyn Magee and Craig Roberts, and Michael Hilton did not have a shot of note to save in the half as he aimed for his eleventh shut-out of the season. 

Two minutes from the break Yarmouth thought they had made the breakthrough when Reed produced a fantastic finish from another Woodcock centre only to be thwarted by an offside decision.

HT 0-0

The early part of the second half saw a more determined Thetford who, with the wind and rain on their backs now, controlled play for a good twenty minutes. But they did not have it all their own way as Roach and Gavin Norman created a 55^th minute chance for Reed which only resulted in yet another corner to the Bloaters. 

Hilton was then called on to make three good saves: in the 55^th minute he came to punch away a free kick, it was the ‘keeper’s feet that directed the ball away from goal a minute later, and three minutes further on Hilton went down to keep out a shot from the Thetford number nine and top scorer Simon Mann. 

In between the second and third saves of this trio, Luke Fell went on for his debut having been signed from the now-defunct Kings Lynn on Boxing Day. 

The 65th minute brought Thetford their best chance so far when a slip by King allowed Mann to race through and shoot but the ball skipped into the side netting to the relief of the several visiting supporters. 

Yarmouth from then on were back in control, with new man Fell seeing a terrific swerving shot just diverted round a post by a leaping Gouden in the next minute. In the 68^th minute, Reed tried to place a shot but lacking power it was collected by Gouden. 

Liam Bartley replaced Roach, and Thetford’s Chris Collins-Reed for once got the better of Woodcock with a tackle that prevented the cross. Thetford won a rare corner in the half, but Yarmouth were soon back at the other end with another of their own from which Roberts lifted his shot over the top. 

Yarmouth were now attacking constantly but could not get the ball in the net. An injured Martin Goulder was replaced by Fernando Vide but it was Fell who was again denied by a goal-line clearance after 82 minutes. 

A goal just had to come and Bartley provided the final touch in a goalmouth melee to at last put the Bloaters in front after 84 minutes.  

Another Reed shot was pushed round for a corner moments later but with the clock moving past the 90 minute mark a last-ditch Thetford attack saw their man go down in the box with the referee awarding the penalty although the decision looked dubious to say the least and the home players did not make any vigorous claims. Matt Dixon made no mistake from the spot to give Thetford a share of the spoils and end Yarmouth’s winning streak. 

Yarmouth – M Hilton, J King, O Savage, C Roberts, M Magee, M Goulder (F Vide 82), G Norman (L Fell 58), D Smith, S Roach (L Bartley 70), J Reed, S Woodcock. Unused subs: M Thompson, J Bell.

Referee – Carl Pearse (Colchester)

Attendance – 70 

Funniest moment of the night – Mazze grappling in the wind  with a sheet of foil to protect the subs on the bench – at first we spectators thought it was for Tongy’s sausage rolls!