Thame United – Holiday Matches Reports

THAME MISS GOALIE IN NEW YEARS DAY DEFEAT
Ardley United 6, Thame United 2 – LEAGUE GAME

Thame United registered their fourth successive defeat on New Years Day at Ardley United. Perhaps this was not totally unexpected as Ardley were in second league position (now top), whereas Thame are currently second from bottom.

Thame were without their regular goalkeeper Paul Searl who was injured in Saturday?s game at Shrivenham. Mark West, who was player/manager until August 2005, was in the starting line-up.
Ball possession was fairly even throughout the game but Ardley created more chances, particularly in the first half, and finished well. Ardley?s first goal came after a uneventful opening 25 minutes. The ball was fed to the unmarked Steve Garbutt who hit a well placed shot from 15 yards pass stand-in goalkeeper Mike Higgs. Two minutes later, Carl Standon hit a quality left foot volley from the edge of the area to make it two. Their third came on 41 minutes direct from a free kick, when dead ball specialist Danny Mason beat Higgs from 22 yards. Four minutes later Ardley were awarded another free kick and Mason hit a superb shot from 30 yards which Higgs got a hand to, but could not stop.

The second half was a different story with Thame creating more chances and playing far more positively. On 55 minutes a strong shot from Darren Moore was headed of the goal line, the ball eventually came to defender Matt Graves who hit a strong, low shot from just outside the box to score Thame?s first. Two minutes later Ben Connolly was judged to have fowled in the penalty area, and Mason completed his hat trick from the resultant spot kick, making the score 5-1. With three minutes of normal time remaining Thame striker Nathan Jack hit a speculative shot from 30 yards which bounced before beating the Ardley keeper. The final goal was again scored direct from a free kick, but this time it was Garbutt who beat Higgs.

Thame United: Higgs, Smith (Moore) Watkins, Kitson, Bell, Graves, Cowan, Green, Jack, West (Cairns), Connelly.

Thame entertain Slimbridge at Hithercroft Stadium, Wallingford next Saturday (January 6th)

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30th December 2006

Shrivenham 3 Thame United 2

With heavy overnight rain and a persistent downpour for an hour before the game, it was somewhat of a surprise that the referee deemed the pitch playable. Nevertheless, it was Thame who adapted to the conditions quickest, taking the lead on 10 minutes when Nathan Jack crossed from the right to Ben Connelly on the edge of the six yard box. Connelly held the ball well before laying off to Jordan Weaver to drive the ball in to the left hand corner of the goal from ten yards.

Shrivenham soon hit back in the 15th minute when a free kick from the wide left was met by the head of Jon Peters to beat Paul Searl at his near post. Five minutes later the same player hit the base of the post before a goal bound shot from Weaver on 30 minutes was blocked by a defender on the line. Ten minutes later a well worked free kick between Sion Kitson and Jack saw Jack strike the ball just wide of the left hand post from 25 yards. In the last minute of the half Shrivenham were unlucky to again see a shot come back off the crossbar.

With the wind behind them in the second half and playing down hill, Thame came out with renewed confidence. This was rewarded in the 55th minute when Jack raced on to a through ball before calmly chipping the on-rushing keeper to give Thame the lead. Almost immediately Shrivenham forced Thame deep in to their own half and following a goal mouth scramble Martin Stratford placed the ball in to the left hand corner of the goal for the equaliser.

With a torrential downpour mid-way through the second half, it looked debatable that the game would finish. In the worsening conditions and to their credit, Thame continued to press forward for the winner with Weaver from 10 yards and Jack Green from 25 yards both testing the Shrivenham keeper. Shrivenham also searched for the winner and a cross-shot from the left hit the woodwork for the third time on 63 minutes. By this stage, Shrivenham were in the ascendancy and pushed forward in numbers. Searl was increasingly busy and in the space of 5 minutes made three crucial saves. However, in the 92nd minute a cross from the left was again met by the head of Jon Peters to give Shrivenham the lead for the first time in the match. Thame immediately went in search of an equaliser, with an Alex Cairns shot from 25 yards beating the keeper but dropping agonisingly on to the roof of the net. It was the last chance for a Thame side who battled bravely in poor conditions and deserved a draw for their effort and commitment.

Thame face a tough game at home (Hithercroft Stadium, Wallingford) against Slimbridge on 6th January (3:00pm kick off)

Team: Searl, Smith, Watkins, Graves, Bell, Kitson, Green (Miller), Connelly, Cowan (Cairns), Jack, Weaver (Moore).

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Thame United 0, AFC Wallingford 2 – 26/12/06 – League
BOXING DAY’S match against Wallingford was an uninspiring affair. Although there were long periods when Thame had more of the play they were unable to score. The Thame squad contains some promising players but after a period of disappointing results, they seem to have lost confidence in their ability to win games.

The opening exchanges were fairly even. Wallingford went ahead in the 15th minute when Danny Leggett made a good run into the Thame penalty area, beat 2 Thame defenders, and laid on a square pass to the unmarked Abdouli Taha for a 5 yard tap in. Thame countered and, following a good move, a strong shot from James Tripp forced a superb save from the Wallingford goalkeeper, John Shea. In the 38th minute Thame keeper, Paul Searl came out of his goal to collect a ball crossed from the left. Uncharacteristically, Searl mishandled the ball and dropped it into the path of Aaron Baker who finished well from 8 yards.

Thame had the majority of the possession in the second half and put some good moves together. Their best chance came when Alex Cairns hit a strong shot from 15yards which forced another excellent save from Shea. Apart from the occasional break away Wallingford did not really threaten the Thame goal in the second half and they seemed content to defend. The strategy worked and Wallingford succeeded in snuffing out any Thame chances and held out to collect their three points.

Wallingford is a quite physical team who conceded numerous free kicks in their own half. Thame, frustratingly, totally wasted these by blasting them off target.

Thame United: Searl, Tripp, Watkins, Kitson, Graves, Connelly, Moore, Cairns, Reading, Jack, Smith (Johnson).
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RAYNERS LANE 3, Thame United 2; Linaker Cup 23/12/06
This was a game which Thame could, and should have won. They had the majority of possession and with 25 minutes to play Thame had a 1-2 lead. Their eventual defeat at the hands of a team from a lower division was the result of sloppy defending and poor finishing.

Thame had a good chance after 16 minutes when Darren Moore found himself 5 yards from goal and in a 1 to 1 with the home team?s goalkeeper, but he took the season of goodwill too far when his shot hit the delighted keeper. Rayners lane took the lead in the 38th minute after Thame goalkeeper Paul Searl had parried a shot which Ian Jones collected and fired home. Moore equalized for Thame on 45 minutes with a strong 20 yard shot low into the left corner of the home goal.

Thame took the lead 8 minutes after the restart when Nathan Jack made a quality run to the left by-line before hitting a low cross which the goalkeeper fumbled and Adrian Smith tapped in. Rayners Lane equalized 15 minutes later when Jones netted his second from close range following a defensive mix up. Thame continued to have more of the play but frustratingly squandered their goal scoring chances. With 15 minutes remaining the home side made a rare trip into the Thame half and Jamahni Henry beat Thame goalkeeper Paul Searl with a blistering 25 yard shot to give Rayners Lane the lead.

The last few minutes saw relentless pressure on the home goal with at least 2 goal line clearances. Searl joined in the attack and Thame should have been awarded a penalty when a defender clearly blocked a shot with his hand. The referee however did not see the infringement and a few seconds later blew the final whistle.

Thame United: Searl, Tripp, Watkins (Da Silva), Bell, Kitson, Cairns, Jackson (Reading), Moore, Smith, Jack, Ricketts.