Clean sheet for Thame as ‘the Heathens’ tumble

THAME United collected three  points at Flackwell Heath on Saturday (16/11) when they defeated their hosts 2-0. This was a good result for United as going into the game ’the Heathens’ were two league places above them. The result lifted Thame two places to seventh position in the league. It was however a very close game with ball possession and chances 50/50. The main difference between the teams was that Thame took their chances, whilst Flackwell squandered their’s.

Thame started brightly and went ahead in the 12th minute when they were awarded a free kick about 35-yards from goal, which Shannon Jesson took and hit a goal bound shot. The keeper stopped it but then spilled the ball allowing Niall Hodgkins to react quickly and fire home from close range. United were playing well and were quicker and more creative than their opponents. The second goal came on 18 minutes when Ollie Lynch played a through ball to Lewis Cordice, who ran at goal and hit a well placed, but not hard, shot past the keeper. Thame continued to have more possession for a while but, towards the end of the half, the home side came back and missed a good chance to pull a goal back.

Flackwell came out fired up after the break and immediately put Thame ‘on the back foot’. There was some heroic defending and goalkeeping by United, including a clearance off the line by Ian Pykett. It seemed however that every time a defender cleared the ball, it came back as the home side built another attack. Thame had the occasional break-away and Cordice was unlucky to see a shot go just wide. The pressure on Thame’s goal increased and the home side hit a goalpost. The final minutes were frantic and Lee Farrow made several good, and at least one outstanding save. Seconds before the final whistle the home side missed yet another good chance, but it was not their day and United held out to keep a clean sheet.

Thame United: Farrow, I Pykett, P Pykett, Hercules, Rhodes, lynch, Connelly (Johnston), Jesson, Hodgkins (Collins), Cordice (Hurley), Ricketts.

The next first team home fixture for Thame United is on Saturday, December 7, when Abingdon Town will be the visitors.