Hard work pays for Thame Utd at Cheltenham

THAME United were made to work hard to secure three points on Saturday (20/09) at Petersfield Park, as second half goals from Dan West and Ellis Hercules eventually proved enough to secure victory.

From start to finish, the first half was a disjointed affair as neither team were able to establish any real rhythm on a difficult playing surface. For the first quarter of the game, it was United who looked most likely to score, but they lacked the clinical touch in front of goal and, gradually, the game become condensed in the centre of the pitch with Jordan Bryan, in particular, looking dangerous for Cheltenham. Ten minutes before the break United felt that they should have been awarded a penalty when Marcus Mealing beat Cheltenham keeper, Ryan Betteridge, to the ball only for the keeper to follow-through and up-end Mealing. The referee, however, saw no offence and the protests were to no avail.

With the game goalless at half-time, whatever manager Mark West said during the interval seemed to work as United pressed the home side from the whistle. Luke Ricketts had a great chance to open the scoring on 55 minutes when he beat his marker and had a clear run at goal, only to see his goal bound shot saved by the legs of Betteridge. However, United only had to wait two minutes before taking the lead. United won a corner on the left flank that skipper Adam Morris floated to the back post where Marcus Mealing headed the ball back across goal for Dan West to finish from close range.

The goal seemed to settle United and, whilst the game again became contained in the central third of the pitch, Cockerill in the Thame goal was rarely threatened. The second goal arrived on 75 minutes when centre back Ellis Hercules collected the ball just inside the Cheltenham half and went on a mazy run that saw him beat four defenders before confidently placing the ball beyond Betteridge and in to the far corner of the goal.

UHLSPORT HELLENIC LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION – Cheltenham Saracens 0, Thame United 2.

The win sees United maintain their mid-table position.

United: Cockerill, Evans, Jones, Hercules, Hall, Lynch, Hazell (Gledhill), Morris, Mealing (Collinge), West, Ricketts.