First home league win for Thame

THAME United secured their first home league win of the season on Saturday (23/8), when they deservedly picked-up three points against Reading Town.

After a quiet opening twenty minutes, United had the first effort on goal when Danny Jones cut in from the right and curled an effort from 20 yards that the keeper did well to push around the post. From the resultant corner, Conor McDonagh was unlucky to see his flicked effort go wide. Two minutes later and it was the visitors turn to apply some pressure to the home goal, with a Jos Millar effort clearing the bar.

Chances then came and went for Jones, McDonagh and Dan West before the deadlock was broken on 38 minutes. A through ball from left back Matt Hall put Jones in on goal and he confidently beat Eggleton in the Reading goal to give United a 1-0 half-time lead.

The visitors came out strongly in the second half and found an equaliser on 55 minutes when, after winning possession on the halfway line, the ball was fed through to striker Carl Davies who placed his shot wide of Josh Cockerill from 12 yards. Both sides then pushed for a winner, with Luke Ricketts on the left increasingly causing the visitors defence problems with his pace. The second goal for United arrived on 71 minutes when a clever pass from West put Jones through on goal, and he placed the ball in the bottom corner from 18 yards. Whilst United then had opportunities to extend their lead through Ricketts and McDonagh, they were thankful to Ellis Hercules for a last ditch tackle in the final few minutes that went some way to securing the three points.

Hellenic League Premier Division – Thame United 2 Reading Town 1

United: Cockerill, P Pykett, Hall, Hercules, Burrows (Willett), Lynch, Jones, (Evans) Morris (Gledhill), McDonagh, West, Ricketts.