07/11/11…Thame remain unbeaten away

MATCH REPORT (Contributed) CHELTENHAM SARACENS 0, Vs THAME UNITED 2; Saturday, November 5, 2011.

A goal in each half secured the points for United as they came away from Cheltenham with a comfortable 2-0 victory to maintain their unbeaten form away from home in the league. Whilst the three points were never in doubt, the margin of victory could have been so much greater had United taken their chances, especially in the first half.

Although United went in to the game with influential midfielder Dan West serving a one match suspension, the side were bolstered by the return of Connor Hayes and Ben Connelly in midfield, with Alex Stewart available up front. The opening exchanges were fairly even before United opened the scoring after 18 minutes. A swift counter-attack resulted in a cross from the right to Aaron Rogers who dummied his marker before coolly beating the keeper from 8 yards. United nearly doubled their lead 5 minutes later when, following a goal mouth scramble, the ball ricocheted off the post before being cleared by a defender off the line. Stewart then had two chances, the first a header that went just wide from a Connelly cross, and the second where he turned his marker on the left, with the keeper blocking the effort with his legs.

The second half was much the same, with United pressing forward. Luke Ricketts went close from the edge of the box, before Cheltenham were reduced to 10-men following a late challenge on Ricketts. Thame continued to press and were rewarded on 77 minutes, when a Stuart Barr free-kick was headed in at the near post by Stewart. The remainder of the game was uneventful, with Thame securing their first clean sheet in the league ? in fact, Nick Bennion in the Thame goal did not have a save to make in the whole game.

United now travel to Highworth Town for a league match on Tuesday evening.

United: Bennion, Barr, Hall, Meredith, Cowan, Hayes, Keeble, Connelly (Little), Stewart, Rogers (Steedman), Ricketts.

Jake Collinge