Eastern Counties East Premier Division
Julius Martin Lane, Soham
Admission: £9.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 124
I had feared that taking in a long distance trip to a game by train would again be thwarted by industrial action by the rail unions. As it turned out, happily, the overtime ban by ASLEF ensured that at least a reduced service would be in operation, and connections ensured that a trip to Soham would work out better than my other shortlisted destinations today. It has long since been on my radar to visit Julius Martin Lane, but a visit had not worked out for various reasons. The news that Soham are reverting back to issuing printed programmes, after several seasons of offering only an online version, sealed me the motivation to head to Cambridgeshire today.
Although a train station reopened in Soham in 2021, services are only twice hourly and are inconvenient for attending games. So instead, I caught the train to Ely, and then caught a bus for the 20 minute journey to the stop local to the ground, about a five minute walk. An unusual board advertises forthcoming games by the gates to the car park, with other signage posted on the outside of the ground, and on the brick turnstile hut - admission is paid at a window, allowing acesss through a full height turnstile. The ground is certainly above average in terms of facilities at Step 5. A large clubhouse building stretches from the corner flag to approaching the half way line, with a little overhang providing shelter, whilst inside is a spacious and pleasant bar area, with a decent range of hot and cold food and drink available from a hatch. A decent elevated view of the action can be obtained from a fairly narrow stand straddling the half way line, with six rows of benches accessed by climbing steps to the side and through a door into the stand. The rest of the length has covered standing, as does virtually the entire distance between corner flags behind with end. The remaining length is just uncovered hard standing. The ground has a pleasant and peaceful setting, with trees and some quirky building lining the ground. After several seasons only producing online programmes, printed copies are making a very welcome return this season.
Soham have had a very disappointing start to their season, losing both of their opening league games so far, losing 5-1 away to Harleston Town and then 3-0 to local rivals Downham Town, and they also exited the FA Cup at the first hurdle, with a 2-0 defeat at Mildenhall. By contrast, Thetford, last season’s runners up but missing out on promotion in the play-offs, have made a good start to their season, winning both of their opening games, away from home, although they also exited the FA Cup in the extra preliminary round, with a 1-2 home defeat against Newmarket Town.
On an intermittently sunny afternoon, the first half was an entertaining affair, and with six minutes on the clock, it looked like the game would go to form, when the visitors were awarded a peanlty for a trip, which was duly converted by Dan Gilchrist into the bottom right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. And they had a good chance to double their lead four minutes later, when the ball was dinked over the defence for Gilchrist to run onto and lob the ball goalwards, but the keeper just managed to claw the ball out of harm's way. But somewhat surprisingly, the scores were level on 18 minutes, when the ball bounced high in the area, and Robert Cristica just nicked the ball from a defender before tapping it over the keeper and into the net. Then on 29 minutes, Thetford were awarded their second penalty of the game when Gilchrist played the ball into the path of Kieran Money, and as he tried to take the ball past the keeper, he was tripped, earning the keeper a yellow card. Gilchrist again converted into the bottom right corner, despite the keeper this time going the right way. And on 36 minutes, they came agonisingly close to scoring a third, a close range goalbound shot was blocked on the line by a defender. On 38 minutes, the third penalty of the match was awarded, this time to the home side, after Kodi Briggs was bundled over in the area. Ryan Sharman also converted his spot kick, rolling the ball into the bottom left corner. But again parity did not last long, as Thetford scored their third on 42 minutes, Ryan Haylett drove with the ball to the byline, before passing low across the area and finding its way to Gilchrist, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net to seal a first half hat-trick.
As often happens after such an eventful and high scoring first half, the second half was rather more subdued, with both sides battling hard, and although Thetford probably looked the more likely to score again, Soham stayed well in the game, and they came oh so close to grabbing a dramatic equaliser in the third minute of added on time at the end of the game, when Byron Adiado hit a first time cross from the right, which was met with a powerful header by Sam Mulready, but the keeper pulled off an excellect reflex save to stop the ball heading towards the top right corner. And in the fifth minute of added on time, it was Thetford's turn to force an excellent save by the goalkeeper, when Shaun Avis's drive from the edge of the area was pushed away.
And so the result went the way one might have expected, but Soham could take a lot of heart from a battling performance against a club who will surely be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
Video highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here
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