Thurlow Nunn Premier: Woodbridge Town 0-3 Thetford Town

26th July 2025

Woodbridge Town vs Thetford Town @ Notcutts Park - Woodbridge

Thurlow Nunn Premier Division (Step 5)

15:00 KO

£10 entry (includes complimentary programme)

Attendance - 161

Half-time score: Woodbridge Town 0-2 Thetford Town

Goals:

Thetford Town: Diggens - 32'

Thetford Town: Buttle - 36'

Thetford Town: Olpin - 85'

Final Score: Woodbridge Town 0-3 Thetford Town

Thetford Town kick-off the 25/26 season with a long away trip to Woodbridge Town. It does a seem a bit early to me, especially as the league has reduced to 18 teams, surely it could have started a bit later? I hope that this will not have a detrimental effect with players missing due to holidays. Nevertheless, it is what it is, and Thetford Town had a big task on their hands to come back to Norfolk with points on the board. Woodbridge Town defeated Thetford Town twice last season (both times by one goal), Thetford have lost two key players in Kieran Money and Dan Gilchrist to higher level clubs (although it looks like Money is back on a dual) as well having a myriad of injuries across the squad, with midfield workhorse Elliot Smith also away for work. However, Thetford have made three recent signings with Marley Delgado returning to the club, Harry Sutton in goal and Jeorgy Batch from Wroxham who has a good pedigree, excited to see how these players fit into the team. Add to this, many of the U23's put in some impressive performances in pre-season, and Marley Reynolds, who was on the bench the majority of last season, was my stand-out pre-season player, therefore there is some level of depth in the team and a good young squad building. It was also announced after the game that Antwan Ebanks-Blake had signed from Ely City, another exciting addition indeed!

Woodbridge also seem to have strengthened with a host of new signings, Kris Rose ex-Ipswich Wanderers captain arguably the pick of the bunch.

The complimentary programme was decent, a full-colour one from RM Phoenix, made the £10 more reasonable as probably worth £2 in most clubs.

It was a muggy day with a few spots of rain as the game progressed, but nothing major. The pitch was looking fabulous to be fair, in fact the whole set-up is great at Woodbridge, nice bar area, decent looking burgers, digital scoreboard and clock and an ice-cream van by the ground, one of the better grounds in the league for sure. Before long, the teams were lining up, with Woodbridge Town in their black and white stripes, and Thetford Town in their hallmark claret and blue.

KEY MOMENTS

WT = Woodbridge Town

TT = Thetford Town

13' - WT - Woodbridge Town with two quick fire chances, Laker with a block on the line to clear the first, and the second 20yrd drilled effort also blocked by the scrambling Thetford defence.

23' - WT - Marsh is slipped in down the right flank, he shoots towards goal, but new keeper Harry Sutton is out quickly to close down the space and make a fine save.

32' - TT - GOAL (0-1) - A ball over the top releases Diggens, he shoots but Punter had got out to the edge of the area and he makes the save, the ball is recycled and pushed out to the left, where Diggens from the left-corner of the box curls the ball round Punter and into the net, sublime finish to kick-start Thetford Town's season, putting them in the lead!!

36' - TT - GOAL (0-2) - A quick-fire second from the visitors, Buttle with the ball on the edge of the box, he shimmies sidewards and shoots with his left foot, the defender gets a leg on the ball but it loops up into the air, over Punter and into the net, that's what can happen if you have a go, and Thetford double their lead!!

39' - WT - A Woodbridge corner is whipped into the far-post, a bullet header comes in from captain Rose, but Sutton dives across and pushes the ball onto the bar and out, simply magnificent save!

40' - WT - Woodbridge attack down the right, pass across finds Connor Field in the middle, just outside the box, he flicks the ball up and volleys it towards goal, but his looping effort does not drop in time and it whistles over the bar.

47' - TT - Captain Olpin with a blistering run down the left, he gets by the defender and squares the ball in, Diggens competes for it and flicks up into a Woodbridge defenders hand inside the 6-yrd box, but nothing is given.

53' - TT - A long ball sets Buttle off down the left, he crosses the ball to the far-post, Diggens is there, but his side-footed volley goes into the side-netting.

57' - TT - Diggens with the ball just outside the box, he drills the ball towards the bottom right corner, Punter gets down low to make a fine diving save but Harvey Lott powers the follow-up into the net, but the celebrations do not last long as the lino's flag goes up. I was the opposite side of the pitch so cannot comment on this one, either way, very unlucky.

58' - WT - Woodbridge get close to setting up a nervy final half-hour, the ball is crossed in from the right, Connor Field is open and glances his header just wide of the post, on target it looked a certain goal.

76' - TT - Olpin lays up an advanced Reynolds and he lashes in a fierce shot, but it is always rising and zips over the bar.

80' - TT - Two chances from Diggens in quick succession, first comes from another great run from Buttle down the left, he crosses in and Diggens' first time strike is stopped, and then a cross goal shot a few moments later from the recycled ball has Punter well and truly beaten, but it crashes into the post and out.

84' - WT - RED CARD - A two-footed lunge from recent Woodbridge Town substitute Tristan Yule rightfully seems him receiving a red card, can't be any arguments with that one.

85' - TT - GOAL (0-3) - Thetford Town seal the game courtesy of a fantastic solo goal from captain Callum Olpin, he finds a lot of space in the middle and bounds forwards, before slotting in a cross-goal strike across Punter from the edge of the box, well-taken goal!

What a fine way to start the season against a much fancied Woodbridge Town, a huge 3-0 victory to set things off with a bang. Thetford Town scrapped and fought hard for every ball, whilst attacking with pace and guile, running the Woodbridge back-line ragged. To a man Thetford Town were brilliant today, but Harry Sutton's debut in-goal has to be the highlight, with a couple of fantastic saves, confidently collecting the ball from set-pieces and quick distribution made this one to remember. Woodbridge certainly had their chances, and it could have been a different game had one of those gone in, but as the game wore on Woodbridge began to struggle, and by the end saw several bouts of ill-discipline culminating in the sending off, which Callum punished with a brilliant goal to cap a great captains performance. Let's hope the lads can use this as a springboard to push on this season, and they don't have long to wait as they play at home on Tuesday night to take on Harleston Town, who also have a Sutton in goal, should be a good one, UP THE TOWN!!!

Line-Ups:

WOODBRIDGE TOWN: Nick Punter, Ryan Marsh, Lewis Kincaid, Gavin Van Oene, Logan Bell, Kris Rose (C), Liam Ablitt, Laurie Higgs, Ash Blow, Connor Field, Ryan Keeble. SUBS: Sean Rea, Luke Beamish, Luke Mallett, Tristan Yule, Daniel Leggett.

THETFORD TOWN: Harry Sutton, Marley Reynolds, Dylan Grove, Kieran Money, Josh Wells, Jaydyn Lott, Adam Laker, Jordan Buttle, Harvey Lott, George Diggens, Callum Olpin (C). SUBS: Marley Delgado, Calan Carkeek, Antwan Ebanks-Blake, Erik Dembicki, Chris Palmer.