First points of the season for Thame Utd

THAME United came back from going a goal down early in the second half to secure their first points of the season in an end-to-end match at Larges Lane, Bracknell Town on Tuesday (August 12).

Manager Mark West reverted to a 4-4-2 formation following the defeat to Highmoor, with Marcus Mealing coming in to the front line, Danny Jones replacing the injured Ben Connelly on the wide right, and Martin Brown recalled to the centre back position. The result was a more attacking formation and if Saturday lacked in goalmouth action, this was more then made up for by a thoroughly entertaining match.

United, playing down the slope in the first half, controlled the first quarter of the game, with Conor McDonagh nearly breaking the deadlock after only 3 minutes when his 25-yard effort was pushed around the post. The next chance fell to Mealing who, following neat inter-play between Willett, McDonagh and Jones, saw his volley just clear the bar. McDonagh, who was causing the home defence all sorts of problems, then fired a low cross in to the near post that the home keeper, James Hawtree, did well to hold. Dan West then headed wide from a Jones free kick on 16 minutes.

At this point Bracknell started to get in to the game and, in the space of five minutes, keeper Josh Cockerill was forced to make three fine saves, doing well to push two efforts wide for a corner. United then went back in to the ascendancy with Mealing (twice), McDonagh and West all going close, before the last meaningful action of the half saw a Morris from kick from 25 yards deflected just wide.

Bracknell came out fired-up at the start of the second half and took the lead after 54 minutes when, following some neat passing on the edge of the Thame box, the ball fell to skipper Sam Whiting, who curled the ball in to the far corner beyond Cockerill. United hit back five minutes later when McDonagh beat his marker on the edge of the box and pulled the ball back for Luke Ricketts to score from close range. Two minutes later and a nasty bobble denied McDonagh a clear goal scoring opportunity.

As the game ebbed and flowed, it was United who ultimately found the winning goal on 75 minutes when McDonagh again did well to beat his marker on the right before rolling the ball across the six yard box to Mealing at the far post who finished confidently.

The action, however, was not over and for the last 10 minutes Bracknell forced United to defend in depth and in numbers, with Cockerill called-upon several times, including a particularly fine save with only four minutes to go. As it was, United held on to secure their first points of the season.

United: Cockerill, Willett, Hall, Hercules, Brown (Rhodes), Mealing, Jones (I Pykett), Morris, McDonagh (Gledhill), West, Ricketts