Bryant return boosts hopes as Thetford Town try to get season back on track
Thetford Town manager Mark Scott. Picture: Sonya Duncan. - Credit: Eastern Daily Press © 2012
Thetford Town's season has been given a new lease of life, following an embarrassing fixture cancellation.
Town failed to put together a team for their Thurlow Nunn Premier Division trip to Brightlingsea Regent, in Essex, because of injuries, player unavailability and a sickness bug.
Town boss Mark Scott set about trying to reverse the club's fortunes, saying: 'Some players need to have a good, hard look at themselves and ask if they are really giving 100 per cent.'
But an old Thetford favourite returned to work some magic to help win a hard-earned point against Godmanchester Rovers at Mundford Road on Saturday.
Midfielder Sam Bryant was voted players' player and manager's player of the season during 2008/09, when Mick Money was in charge of Thetford, and re-joined the club from Diss Town recently.
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In his first start for the club since his return, Bryant smashed home a strike from over 20 yards to help Thetford claim a 1-1 draw.
'When I took over as manager Sam had been player of the season but had made plans to move on before I joined and I was bitterly disappointed,' Scott said.
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'We played a 3-5-2 formation on Saturday with Sam wide left and he cut in from the left and hit the ball from about 20 or 25 yards, it was a great goal.
'It was great for him to score a goal in his first start because he is a great lad.'
The postponement at Brightlingsea prompted the club to register some of its reserve squad, formed this summer to play in Division Six of the Anglian Combination, on first-team forms.
Scott, now in his fifth season in charge of Town, is looking to rebuild his squad. Last season, the club's first following promotion from Division One, Town struggled and finished 19th with just six wins from 38 matches.
The draw leaves Scott's side in 17th and with just two wins ahead of another home league match this Saturday against mid-table CRC.
'It was certainly an important point for us at the weekend and an important performance after the team meeting and fiasco the week before,' Scott added.
'We've lost a couple of players after that but it was a very pleasing performance and a big result for us for. But we have got to build on that performance.'
Scott is unavailable himself this weekend so will leave assistant David Skipp in charge for the visit of CRC, which is a 3pm kick-off.
