20/09/10…No Vase this year for Thame United

FA VASE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND – BITTON 3, Vs THAME UNITED 2 – Match report by Jake Collings:

FOR the second time in three seasons Thame returned from Bitton knowing that the outcome could, and should, have been very different but for the intervention of the local referee. Whilst on the first occasion Thame fell to a 3-0 defeat, this time they were much the better team and, even without the refereeing decisions, left Bristol knowing that had they taken their chances the game would have been over long before the late rally from the home side.

The game started in lively fashion with United forcing a corner in the first minute from which the ball crashed against the bar and, after a goal mouth scramble, was eventually cleared by the home defence. Bitton then showed their own attacking credentials when a cross from the right was headed against the thame bar from six yards. However, it was United who opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Mark Jones superbly chested the ball in to the path of striker Aaron Rogers on the halfway line. Rogers then outpaced the defenders before his first effort was saved by the keeper. Likewise, the keeper saved his second effort before the ball came back to Rogers for a third time and he expertly headed the ball over the keeper. The lead, however, only lasted two minutes as a ball in from the right was volleyed beyond Barisic and in to the far corner of the net.

The game at this point was end-to-end and the only surprise was that there were no further goals in the next twenty minutes, albeit Mark Jones saw a close range header flash over the bar from a Rogers corner. Nevertheless, it was Thame who struck just before half time when a quick break saw Adam Rhodes feed Rogers who hit a superb first angled shot from the edge of the box that gave the home keeper very little chance to move before it hit the back of the net.

Expecting an onslaught from the home side going in to the second half, it was Thame who started brightest and only two minutes in to the half captain Nik Rhodes fired over from close range following a corner. Ten minutes later and Rogers was put clean through, forcing the keeper in to a fine save low to his left. Shortly after Jones did well to block a clearance from the keeper and hit the rebound towards goal before seeing his effort cleared off the line. It was all Thame at this point and twenty minutes in to the half was the first controversial moment when the keeper spilled a free kick from Luke Ricketts, Jones beat the keeper to the ball and was hauled back by the keeper. With the travelling Thame support calling for a penalty, the referee simply waved play on. Five minutes later and Thame were on the wrong end of another decision when Nik Rhodes seemingly timed a tackle on the edge of the box to perfection, only to see the referee point to the spot. The penalty was dispatched with ease. Five minutes later and Bitton scored the winner when Thame failed to clear their lines and the ball was placed beyond Barisic from twelve yards. United pushed forward in search of an equaliser with the best opportunity falling to Hoskin in the last minute who skewed his effort wide from ten yards.

United now have one of their biggest games for a number of years next Saturday as they travel to Poole Town in the next round of the FA Cup. First they have a local derby with Oxford City Nomads on Wednesday evening.

Thame United: Barisic, Barr, Way (Stallwood), N.Rhodes, Saulsbury, Braun, A.Rhodes, Hoskin, Jones, Rogers, Ricketts.