Viv Thomas Thetford Town travel to Diss on Saturday full of confidence after holding Ridgeons Division One leaders Yarmouth to a draw last night.The Tangerines are fourth in the table while Thetford are 11th but they have proved capable of giving any side in the division a run for their money.

Viv Thomas

Thetford Town travel to Diss on Saturday full of confidence after holding Ridgeons Division One leaders Yarmouth to a draw last night.

The Tangerines are fourth in the table while Thetford are 11th but they have proved capable of giving any side in the division a run for their money.

There will be heightened rivalry as some players have links to both clubs, explained Thetford manager Mark Scott.

“It's a bit of a local derby,” he said. “They will be up for it. It should be a very interesting game.

“I'm very optimistic - I think we can get something from the game if we play with the determination and character we saw against Yarmouth. We're more than capable of doing it.

“We've then got two home games, against Downham and Whitton, so hopefully January will be a good month.”

Having drawn with then leaders Clacton earlier in the season, Thetford repeated the trick last night by drawing 1-1 with current table toppers Yarmouth.

The hosts went 1-0 down late on but in the last five minutes Matt Dixon was brought down and slotted home the penalty to notch up his tenth goal in 11 games.

Scott said it was a very pleasing result: “We honestly felt we could get something from the game. They are a strong, direct, pacy side and sometimes had five up front but we stood up to them.

“We did ride our luck but held our nerve and played some nice football. I think we played the better football. It made for an interesting game in cold and wet conditions.

“We went one-nil down with ten minutes to go when we got caught at the back, bit disappointing, then about five minutes to go, from a throw-in, Matt Dixon did an exquisite little turn inside the box and two defenders came in and brought him down and he calmly slotted away the penalty.”

He was full of praise for his team. “Matt Dixon and Simon Mann were working hard up front, our defence was very strong; Luke Bailey, from Mildenhall who is on loan until the end of the season, Christian Money, Ryan Haynes and Chris Collins-Read - who had his best game for a long time, he was outstanding. Mark Bowden made some very, very good saves under a lot of pressure.

“It was a difficult game but the character of the lads and the camaraderie is fantastic. They did well, they defended fantastically and tried to hit them on the counter attack,” he added.