Anglian Combination Premier: Scole United 2-3 Easton

16th August 2025

Scole United vs Easton @ Ransome Avenue - Scole

Anglian Combination Premier Division (Step 7)

14:15 KO

Free entry

Attendance - approx. 30

Half-time score: Scole United 1-0 Easton

Goals:

Scole United: Olpin - 43'

Easton: Soileau - 56'

Scole United: Rutherford (OG) - 69'

Easton: Rutherford - 72'

Easton: Geib - 82'

Final Score: Scole United 2-3 Easton

With Thetford Town out of the FA Cup following an epic two game battle against Histon, I used this spare Saturday to visit a new ground, and Scole United stuck out for me, so I headed down the A1066 and through Diss to get to the village of Scole. I have seen Scole United twice recently, a 5-3 win at the end of last season at Watton United (a game full of incident) and a 4-0 pre-season friendly win at Mundford, and in both occasions they looked a good footballing side so I was excited for the game. Both teams had started the season with a loss, so would both be keen to make up for their disappointing starts, and with only 1-point between them last season it was set-up to be a fiercely contested game.

It was a decent Anglian Combination set-up at Scole United, a good sized car-park, an open clubhouse with a bar and toilets, a children's play area in one corner and the pitch wasn't too bad for this level, a bit bobbly but acceptable, with permanent dugouts and a wooden fence along the back, one to return to for sure.

It was a gloriously sunny day, and not too hot in the low 20's, much nicer than the recent high 20's/low 30's. Out onto the sun bathed pitch, the two teams lined-up, both in their main colours with Scole United in yellow with Easton in red.

KEY MOMENTS

SU = Scole United

EA = Easton

22' - SU - Scole with their second corner in a row, this one is curled into the near-post by the No.9, it is heading in but keeper Gell is wise to it and gets across well to make the catch.

31' - EA - Masiarz on the touch-line down the left-flank, he goes for an audacious 30yrd effort, it is struck wonderfully and heading in across goal, but the keeper gets down well and it looks like he gets his fingertips on the ball to push it wide, but the officials award a goal-kick.

43' - SU - GOAL (1-0) - In what was a very even first half, the home team break the deadlock shortly before the break. Olpin drives forwards at pace off the left, slipping in-between two players, he then plays the ball into the middle to find Norton-Hugman who sensing the continued run of Olpin threads the ball through the middle, Olpin gets on the end of it and from just inside the box he drives a low effort beyond Gell, a well-worked goal indeed!

46' - SU - Scole come out of the traps fast in the 2nd half and almost bag a second. The No.7 plays in Norton-Hugman in the middle of the box, he is unable to strike but finds the No.9 on the right, with the keeper wrong-footed the shot comes in, it is heading in but is cleared off the line by an Easton defender, conceding a corner in the process.

47' - SU - From the aforementioned corner, Olpin whips it into the far-post, the Scole captain (the No.5) is there and rises highest, but directs the ball just wide of the post with his headed effort, close!

56' - EA - GOAL (1-1) - In what had been threatened throughout the game Easton finally break the offside trap and Masiarz is in, under-pressure he shuffles the ball out to the right to find the pacey winger Soileau, he strides forwards and from the edge of the box he drives the ball into the net, a fine finish to draw Easton level.

66' - EA - From an Easton counter-attack Bull has the ball in the net, off the post, but the linesman flags for offside, I was in-line and it was a very close call, certainly borderline!

69' - SU - GOAL (2-1) - Scole play themselves back into the game, a fast break from Atkinson sees him sprint forwards from the half-way line, down the right he breaks through a challenge and crosses in the ball, the Easton captain Rutherford is the first defender and he tries to clear but slices the ball into his own net to concede a horrible own goal.

72' - EA - GOAL (2-2) - After the own goal, the Easton captain was on a mission to make amends and he did this only 3 minutes after he turned the ball into his own net. Easton get a free-kick and Saxby steps up to take it. He curls in a fantastic ball swerving in at the near-post, tracked by several players nobody can make contact and the ball slams into the post, it drops to Rutherford and he turns and smashes the ball into the open net from close range. Two goals in 3 minutes from him, one for each team, what a way to make-up for his error, impressive stuff from the captain, and Easton are back on-terms with Scole.

75' - EA - Geib drives forward from the half-way line, he skips over one challenge and his pace sees him beat the 2nd defender, but this final defender covers back well and as Geib takes the ball into the box to shoot, there is just enough pressure on him to forces him to drag his cross-goal effort just wide of the target.

82' - EA - GOAL (2-3) - Woolston with a fantastic long-ball to release Geib who times his forward run to perfection, the Scole keeper steams out and seeing this and with the ball on the bounce, Geib lofts the ball over him, it bounces in the box and nestles into the net, giving Easton the lead for the first time this afternoon.

84' - SU - Scole substitute attacker No.14 is taken out on the edge of the box. The Scole captain (the No.5) steps up to take the free-kick, it is struck well and curling towards goal, but there is slightly too much on and it whistles beyond the top left corner of the goal, almost an incredible free-kick.

The final 15 minutes or so, there was a lot of injury time, saw Easton largely sit back and try and hit Scole on the break, but neither side could create any further chances, as a desperate Scole United throwing fresh legs onto the pitch fell to a defeat, making it two home losses in a row. In the first half the two sides largely cancelled each other out, only a moment of magic from Rory Olpin was able to break the deadlock, I wonder if he is a relation to Thetford Town's midfield maestro Callum Olpin? Scole very nearly got a 2nd just after the 2nd half restart, and had it have gone in I think they could have pushed on to win the game. But the block off the line was pivotal and from this moment Easton were on-top and had the better 2nd half, the pacey attack of Soileau and Geib causing Scole all-sorts of issues. It is due to this that Easton were just about good for their win, although a draw would also have been a fair result. The two goals from Easton captain Rutherford were incredible, from a disaster when he hooked the ball into his own goal, to owning his error, driving Easton forwards then smashing the ball in from close range only 3 minutes later, what a story! All-in-all I enjoyed the game served up between these two sides, Anglian Combination Prem never fails to deliver the goods, two teams wanting to attack and score goals, and I wish both teams the best of luck with the rest of their 25/26 seasons.

Line-Ups:

SCOLE UNITED (alphabetical order): Harrison Atkinson, Kieran Manning, Jake McDowall, Elliot Mouser, George Nicolaou, Ben Norton-Hugman, Rory Olpin, Thomas Peck, Alfie Smith, Carter Trenerry, George Whitmore. SUBS: Kyle Halil, Kieran Nunn, Luke Rowe.

EASTON: Cairn Gell, Tom Read, Ian Woolston, Kris Masiarz, Greg Dimsey, Hayden Rutherford (C), Caleb Geib, Josh Saxby, Matty Thurston, Josh Bull, Reegan Soileau. SUBS: Lewis Thurston, Callum Lake.