Thurlow Nunn Challenge Cup - Round 3: Halesworth Town 2-1 Thetford Town
22nd September 2026
Halesworth Town vs Thetford @ Dairy Hill - Halesworth
Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup - Round 3 (Step 6 vs Step 5)
19:45 KO
£7 entry
Attendance - 154
Half-time score: Halesworth Town 1-0 Thetford Town
Goals:
Halesworth Town: Payne - 13'
Thetford Town: Diggens - 53'
Halesworth Town: Caplin - 90'
Final Score: Halesworth Town 2-1 Thetford Town
With the Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup now in full-swing, the premier division sides have now entered the competition in Round 3, with TNL Premier Thetford Town drawn away at TNL D1 North Halesworth Town. Despite the division difference this will be an incredibly tough game for the visitors, it is a long Tuesday evening journey to the team currently top of the TNL D1 North, with an impressive undefeated home record posting 6 wins out of 6, scoring 18 and only conceding 2, impressive stats. The question was, can they continue this form and keep out a free-scoring Thetford Town, who have scored 17 goals in the last 5 games?
Halesworth Town were an SIL team a couple of years ago, but they secured promotion in the 24/25 season, this being their 2nd year in TNL D1 North. I was impressed with the set-up, better than many teams in the TNL Prem with nice flat well kept pitch, a clubhouse, tea hut, food van and nice all-round fencing, as well as an Ultras area behind one of the goals. Full colour printed programmes were on offer at the gate too for £2 only.
When seeing the Thetford Town line-up a few key players were being rested with some huge games coming up in the league and Norfolk Cup, but this gave a chance to some of the other players to stake their claim, and it was still a strong line-up indeed, also seeing the return of Callum Olpin. It was a mild, pleasant evening and before long the teams were lining up, Halesworth Town another team in the region sporting black and white stripes, with Thetford Town in their away mint green kits.
KEY MOMENTS
HW = Halesworth Town
TT = Thetford Town
9' - HW - Payne beats keeper Ben Mills to the ball, drags his effort wide and the ball is cleared to safety.
13' - HW - GOAL (1-0) - A loose ball from Grove is intercepted by Read, he immediately squares to Payne in the middle who from just inside the box powers his effort in, and the hosts take an early lead.
15' - HW - A bouncing ball is allowed to travel across the face of goal, from outside the box Chenery hits it on the bounce, but the looping effort flies narrowly over.
28' - HW - Halesworth close down a clearance with a body block, the ball drops to Allen on the right, he drills the ball across the danger area, but it evades everyone.
30' - TT - Great work down the right flank from Cooper and Henman-Mason, the ball is crossed in, Piggott leaps high but the ball is just too high, it falls to Olpin coming in at the far-post but his cross goal shot flies agonisingly wide.
36' - HW - A free-kick ball is crossed in, a defensive header removes it from the immediate threat but it falls to Moore at the far-post whose volley from a narrow angle flashes marginally wide.
41' - TT - Thetford captain with a neat ball into the box, Ward heads the ball down to Harvey Lott, he fires in from the 6-yard box but his effort is tipped over the bar for a corner, brilliant save from MacRae.
44' - TT - Thetford pressing, an errant clearance drops to Ward on the edge of the box, he breaks through the challenge and fires in, his effort pulled just wide, so close to an equaliser just before the break!
45'+2' - TT - Diggens latches onto a weak pass back, he tries to curl the ball around the back pedalling MacRae, but the keeper gets down low to stop and collect the ball, huge moment!
53' - TT - GOAL (1-1) - A deft ball over the top from captain Sam Bond, Diggens times his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and is through 1-on-1, making no mistake and slotting the ball into the net beyond MacRae, all level.
60' - HW - A sweeping counter attack from Halesworth, it looks to be a sure fire goal, I could not see who the effort comes in from, but Mills gets an outstretched leg on the ball and it loops over the bar for a corner.
65' - TT - Cooper battling hard on the edge of the box, the space isn't there for him to strike the ball so he slips in Diggens charging into the right side of the box, he lashes in an effort but it is pulled wide of the far-post.
66' - TT - Thetford take a quick short corner, Olpin is in and bends the ball towards the far-side of the goal, the effort is heading in but is cleared off the line and drops to Piggott whose drilled effort is blocked by the scrambling defence, unlucky.
75' - TT - Thetford on the counter, Olpin with the ball in the middle has a pop from 20yrds, his daisy cutter of a strike is heading into the bottom left corner, but MacRae gets down well to push it round the post for a corner.
78' - HW - A swift Halesworth attack down the left, ball crossed into Payne at the far-post, but at full stretch and under pressure from Blythe he blazes over.
80' - TT - RED CARD - Blythe sees his second yellow, twice this game he was caught the wrong side of the attacker and two clumsy challenges sees him get two yellows and his marching orders. Thetford Town now really up against it!
83' - HW - From a Halesworth corner a header is fired in from point-blank range, but Mills is able to make an important stop.
88' - TT - 10-man Thetford break through Buttle, he skips down the left, cuts into the box and shoots, but his cross goal effort is another one that is just wide of the mark.
90' - HW - GOAL (2-1) - Surely a late winner from Halesworth, captain Whiteman beats his man on the right-flank and crosses the ball in, Mills leaps forwards and seems to have the ball in his hands, but it slips out and substitute Caplin pokes in from close range.
93' - TT - Late drama, corner ball comes in, Grove leaps like a salmon, MacRae is beaten but his bullet header crashes into the bar and out, falling to Buttle whose snap strike seemingly comes off a Halesworth arm and wide, but only a corner is give to the desperate visitors.
Another cup competition where Thetford Town fall at the first hurdle, however, despite fielding a side not at full-strength they pushed Halesworth all the way, and even when down to 10-men they had chances to level to take the game to penalties, and had they been more clinical throughout could have bagged the win. Goalkeeper MacRae made a couple of huge saves and the defensive unit were quick to scramble back and block any incoming shots. They also looked potent in attack, giving Thetford plenty of headaches and were good value for their two-goals. The sending off however does appear to be a pivotal moment, until then the 2nd half was mostly in Thetford Town's favour, but this changed and in-front of the Halesworth Ultras the winner was set up by the club captain, in a great moment for the home team. Thetford Town are now only in the Norfolk Cup where they have a difficult away tie against Great Yarmouth Town, and whilst the league form is strong and the clear priority, at least one cup win this season would be nice for the travelling fans, players and management team. Next up however is a big away fixture, a local one at Walsham-le-Willows, and with key players rested can Thetford get one over their old rivals, here's to hoping we can, UP THE TOWN!!!
Line-Ups:
HALESWORTH TOWN: George MacRae, Ollie Allen, Nathan Russell, Kian Wilson, Curtis Moore, Shaun Whiteman (C), Lewis Chenery, Callum Read, Toby Payne, Daniel Munro, Ryan Howes. SUBS: Sam Fisher, Macauley Holt, Cameron Russell, Henry Caplin.
THETFORD TOWN: Ben Mills, Kyran Cooper, Lawrence Blythe, Louis Henman-Mason, Dylan Grove, Sam Bond (C), Theo Piggott, Ronnie Ward, Harvey Lott, George Diggens, Callum Olpin. SUBS: Amouree Wellington, Jordan Buttle, Rhion Davison, Salvador de Noronha, Ollie Sutton.
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