Thetford Town are hoping to bounce back from the disappointment of matching the league leaders right to the last minute of the game before conceding the winner.

A hat-trick by Thetford striker Matt Dixon was not enough as Cambridge University Press won the game 4-3 with a last-gasp header, writes Viv Thomas.

But they are looking to make amends against Downham this weekend, optimistic of getting more points on the board.

Thetford manager Mark Scott said after the game against Cambridge: “We were devastated, absolutely devastated. At half-time we though we would win. We played really really well and Matty Dixon got a hat-trick.

“We genuinely thought we would win it, or at least get a point. We were beaten with the last kick of the gamee. We were feeling very low.

If we had won this game we would hve been four points below the leaders with a game in hand. It would have meant a great deal.

Matty Dixon played absolultely superbly and took his goal really well.

The first was Henry Scott whipped in a lovely ball and Dicko hammered it home. The second was a penalty when he was fouled and the third Cary Clayton stole the ball off a defender and put in a great through-ball in to Dicko to run on and slot home.

That made it 3-3 and we were really pushing for the win. With hindsight, maybe we should have settled for a point and we were probably showed a bit of naivity with the youngsters bombing up and leaving us exposed. A cross came in and it was headed in.”

On Saturday, Thetford play Downham.

“Again it’s a game we would hope to win especially after the performance of the weekend,” said Scott.

Downham got a decdent result too at the weekend so you just don;t know in this league. It’s so unpredictable.

“They will be upbeat and looking forward to it. They are a couple of positions below us in the league, We have a few players unavailable, still not able to put the same team out.

“But we are optimistic if we play the way we played Saturday and Wednesay against Walsham-le-Willows we will take some beating.”