The 'A' team boys score to down Thetford

Four goals from the 'A' team, Adam, Austen and Andrew see The Robins come back from a goal down to beat Thetford Town by 4 goals to 1

Tonight is a nice Spring evening, the pitch a bit hard and bumpy but never the less good for an evening of football. Thetford Town are the visitors to the Unwin, although languishing in the lower reaches of the League they are always a team that attempt to play football and so make it hard for their opponents. Ely make a number of changes, both positional and in personnel. One or two of the squad are carrying injuries, with some illness and with a number of games in quick succession this may be understandable. Ian Walters gets his first start of the season at right back. The poorest part for the night is the lack of souls at the ground with a mere 60 odd paying customers.
It was a fairly slow start to the game, a few long throws into the box from both sides (they seem to have someone who throws as long as Ben Lawrence) but all are reasonably easily cleared. Ely are tending to hoof it forward for Adam Murray playing up front but it was to be Thetford who open the scoring. On 11 minutes a long ball out of the Thetford defence, down the centre of the pitch, was headed on by the striker into the path of Kyle Parrish who took it on and lobbed the advancing Lee Pacey from 20 yards to give his team a lead. 0 - 1
Thetford had their tails up now and were going forward more, they were still getting throws into the box. Chris Sterecki went into the Refs notebook on 19 minutes. The Ely defence were coping with the forward surges but it was not until the 30th minute that they were able to draw level. A ball was played down the right and it looked as if the Thetford defender would deal easily but ‘Mussa’ got in and took the ball off him, he was very strong holding off two players before getting to the bye line. He cleverly popped the ball up to the back post and there was Austen Diaper coming in from the left to nod it into the net 1 - 1
Ely now became the dominant team and from a left wing corner on 39 minutes Kenny Smith headed narrowly over the top. There were no more meaningful efforts before the Refs whistle brought the half to an end.
The second period started and straight away a Thetford shot brought a good save from Pace. A few minutes later it was an Ely corner on the left that was cleared towards the right Ben Lawrence got the ball took it into the box but his shot was straight at the keeper. Liam Bolton saw yellow from the Ref for an alleged dive on 55 minutes. Another long throw into the Thetford box saw a spectacular flying overhead kick from Mussa but it was well off target. On 60 minutes Dave Wilson was replaced by Josh Curry. A minute later saw a good pass from Ian Walters to Mussa but again the shot was wide. On 62 minutes Taz Chisanga was replaced by Porky Claydon and on 66 minutes Luke Parkinson came on for Tino Diaper. The first thing that Luke had to do was dispatch a corner in from the right. This he did and there was Mussa to force it home 2 - 1
On 70 minutes there was some good work down the right before the ball came out to the back post, there was Luke 10 yards out unmarked and his shot is still going towards Littleport. Three minutes later again a free kick from Luke went right across the 6 yard box but everyone missed it. Thetford had not given up and on 75 minutes there was a fierce scramble, ping pong ball in the Ely box before it was eventually cleared. It was to be Ely again. They had a free kick 25 yards, it was hit low and the Thetford keeper spilled it Mussa was the first to it and he planted it into the net. 3 - 1
Josh Curry was injured and Ely Basically pled the last ten minutes with 10 men. Curry did try to come back on but with his ankle like a balloon he was not able to. On 81 minutes a free kick on the halfway line has nodded on to Porky Claydon who turned his man shot low into the corner and scored his 19th league goal 4 - 1
Ely were comfortably with the ten men and had another chance from a corner but it was wide. Thetford did make a last minute effort that saw some last ditch Ely defending but the ball was eventually cleared and the Ref brought the game to a halt
This may have been a bit of a ‘end of season game’ but it was entertaining and the Robins got another good 3 points.