Haverhill Rovers 1 Felixstowe & Walton United 1

Ipswich Star: Kyle Clark opens the scoring for Haverhill. Photo: PAUL VOLLERKyle Clark opens the scoring for Haverhill. Photo: PAUL VOLLER (Image: Archant)

Felixstowe & Walton United drew the curtain down on 42 years of Thurlow Nunn League football as they played out a tame 1-1 draw at The New Croft before turning their attention to Step 4 football in the Bostik League, where they are expecting to play next season.

There was certainly no going out in a blaze of glory on the warmest day of the year so far, more like leaving by the side door, with both sides looking tired and ready for the summer break, in a low key affair.

Kyle Clarke pounced on a mix-up in the Seasiders’ defence to put his side in front in the 24th minute, and Sam Ford cancelled out Clarke’s effort 15 minutes later to level things up, but from that point, chances were few and far between.

The afternoon was perhaps more about ceremony than all action football as League Chairman Peter Hutchings presented the visitors with the runners-up shield and medals before the kick-off, and the hosts’ management team presented their Felixstowe counterparts with a magnum of Moet Champagne, and club physio Samantha Gedny a large bunch of flowers.

Ipswich Star: Sam Ford fires in the Felixstowe equaliser at Haverhill. Photo; PAUL VOLLERSam Ford fires in the Felixstowe equaliser at Haverhill. Photo; PAUL VOLLER (Image: Archant)

It was a thoughtful gesture, one which was certainly appreciated by the large following of Felixstowe supporters who had made the trip across the county, more than doubling Rovers average gate, producing an excellent atmosphere throughout the 90 minutes.

Of the football itself, the drama, what little there was, came before the kick-off, when leading scorer Joe Francis dropped out of the pre-match warm up, and in a late change dropped to the subs bench and to add to any concerns the Seasiders’ management may have had, both Stuart Boardley and Callum Bennett were substituted with injuries in the first half hour of the game.

Danny Crump did produce a couple of top-class saves in the opening half and the visitors spurned three good opportunities after the break, with perhaps the highlight of the second half a jinxing run from Kye Ruel that took him into Rovers six-yard box before Turner smothered the ball at the foot of his post.