Thurlow Premier Felixstowe & Walton United 2 Thetford Town 1 A piece of high quality finishing deep into time added on at the end of the 90 minutes left Thetford shattered after slugging it out with the league leaders.
Indeed, they were on the brink of being only the second side to take points away from the Goldstar Ground this season.
It had been a dour struggle with nothing separating the sides as the game drew to a close until the late drama, when Miles Powell clipped the ball over Thetford ‘keeper Will Viner and wheeled away having secured the three points with his sixth goal in three games.
Max Melanson opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 17 minutes with Powell replying for the home side, also from the spot, to take the sides into the interval all square.
And a flying save from Viner to deny Chaplin with three minutes remaining looked to have secured a deserved point for the visitors before Powell’s late strike.
New signing Regan Pelling, making his home debut for the Seasiders, made an early impression with Viner safely behind a shot from the edge of the area, and Chaplin close to converting Pelling’s cross in the opening minutes.
Powell shot wide from 12 yards and Viner saved from Chaplin before Thetford took the lead after Davis had been adjudged to have handled the ball blocking Wood’s fierce shot.
On the half hour, Powell had the ball in the net after Kye Ruel’s initial shot had struck a post, but an offside flag cut short any celebrations.
Powell was not to be denied, sending the sides in level after drilling home the game’s second penalty two minutes before the break.
Crump saved well from Bailey as Thetford started the second half on the attack, in what had become a scrappy affair with neither keeper seriously threatened until Viner produced an excellent save to deny Chaplin late on.
Then, in the fifth minute of time added on, Powell received the ball on the edge of the visiting area and with precision, clipped it over Viner and into the Thetford goal, to snatch all three points for the league leaders.
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