The weather had promised much through the week as the snow melted and disappeared to be replaced by chilly but dry days that helped the pitch at Maitlands to drain and look quite playable by Saturday morning. Lunch time on matchday however saw a band of drizzly rain appear that persisted for much of the game and made the top surface sticky and slippery and we all knew that Debenham would find these conditions difficult as we had seen on a number of occasions before. There was a light breeze that felt quite chill with the rain as it blew towards the Leisure Centre end.
Debenham kicked off playing with the wind on their backs as the early exchanges saw a number of misplaced passes by both teams but Fakenham forced an early corner kick that Sam Chilvers punched clear. On 10 minutes James Heathcote took a pass from Ben Bowler and made a run to the left bye-line before passing back into the penalty area where Ben Bowler’s effort at goal was smothered by the massed ranks of the Fakenham defence. Three minutes later a lovely pass from Ben Green sent James Heathcote into the penalty area on the right side but his shot at goal was saved by Tommy Rix in the visitors’ goal.
Fakenham showed that they could be dangerous in the fourteenth minute when a corner kick was headed over the Hornet’s bar from inside the six yard box but Debenham came back again and Ed Cussons made a good run up the left wing to send over a cross towards the six yard line that took a deflection off  a defender but fall luckily in to the keeper’s chest when a foot either way would have seen the opening goal.
Fakenham’s Kyle Plumb made a good run forward on 24 minutes but his shot was well saved by Sam Chilvers before Benjamin Coe had a shot from 18 yards that hit the cross bar. Again Debenham broke back as Ben Green made a run through midfield that saw his cover 50 yards getting past three attempted tackles but his shot from the edge of the penalty area was not cleanly hit and the keeper was able to make a save.
The game was quite even up to this point but it was Fakenham who took the lead on 27 minutes as Kyle Plumb made progress into the Debenham penalty area and laid the ball back for JAMES PAGE who made no mistake shooting home from 10 yards. Five minutes later the visitors nearly doubled their tally but a shot at goal from six yards was saved by a courageous point blank save by Sam Chilvers.
Debenham kept playing their passing game but the conditions and some very strong tackling proved difficult as passes went astray and defenders cleared their lines. Another heavy downpour certainly didn’t help the players as the final minutes of the half saw a number of misdirected passes and no more chances at either end of the pitch.

Half Time        Debenham LC FC   0           Fakenham Town FC   1
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Nathan Vincent’s early effort at goal was saved by Fakenham’s keeper before James Heathcote burst forward only to be brought down by Fakenham’s Jason Pease who was cautioned for the offence. The resulting free kick saw Debenham try their well practised routine of playing the ball into the box as a runner went for the return pass but it proved fruitless on this occasion and the ball was cleared.
The 52nd minute saw Fakenham attack and an effort at goal struck the left post of the Debenham goal before being cleared away then on 55 minutes a corner kick to the visitors saw the ball end up in the net but the linesman was flagging for an offside so the score remained 1-0 to the visitors who were beginning to impose themselves on the game.
Debenham persisted in trying to play good football but we were disappointed on a number of occasions as passes went astray and the Fakenham midfield and defence seemed to have spare men and time at most situations.
James Heathcote was unceremoniously chopped to the floor after 75 minutes and the defender was cautioned but the free kick failed to produce a chance at goal. Tom Hardwick made an excellent tackle on 78 minutes as a Fakenham forward was about to burst clear and a number of substitutions by the visitors seemed to help the team as fresh legs got to grips with the stick conditions.
The 80th minute effectively saw the game won as Fakenham attacked again and the centre half and captain MATTHEW GILCHRIST tried a shot from 30 yards out and saw his shot evade the efforts of Sam Chilvers and settle in the corner of the net to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Debenham didn't give in at this reverse however and continued to press forward but the final pass just didn’t happen as a good run from Ben Green was smothered and substitute Jack Seccombe tried valiantly to conjure up a chance but everything that the Hornets tried was dealt with by the visitors' defence.
One final chance for the Hornets after 88 minutes saw the ball fall to James Heathcote just 8 yards from goal but it happened very quickly and James’ snap shot  went wide of the left hand post.
And that just about sums up the afternoon’s work for Debenham LC who tried hard but were beaten by the conditions as much as a hard working and robust tackling Fakenham side.

Full Time        Debenham LC FC   0           Fakenham Town FC   2
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                                                                 Gilchrist 80

Referee         Mr G Laflin   Assistant Referees     Mr M Burroughs   Mr W Case

Attendance    63

Debenham LC FC       Chilvers, Kemp, Cussons Capt, Barker, Hardwick, Bloom, Bevis, Bowler, Vincent,
                                  Green, Heathcote    Substitutes  Seccombe, Wake, Johnson, Beaton

Fakenham Town FC   Rix, Woodhouse, Pease, Day, Gilchrist Capt, Garner, Coe, Page, Tricks, Plumb,
                                  Jones    Substitutes   Pask, Pearson, Greer

Cautioned                   Pease, Day