Thame Utd end visitors’ winning streak

UNITED  continued their recent good form on Saturday (11/09) as they brought to an end the visitors’ five-match winning streak in the league.

Dan West, who scored the first goal against Kidlington on Saturday

And it could not have started any better for United as they took the lead in the first minute. Captain Adam Morris fed the ball out to Ben Connelly whose first time cross was met by the head of Dan West six yards from goal, giving Hyslop in the Kidlington goal no chance. Two minutes later and West and Marcus Mealing combined well before the latter earned a free kick on the edge of the box that Dan Jones fired just wide.

Luke Ricketts, who scored Thame utd’s second goal on Saturday against Kidlington

Kidlington, who prior to the game were third in the league, nevertheless looked dangerous going forward and the equaliser arrived in the 15th minute. The Referee awarded Kidlington a somewhat dubious corner that was taken short and delivered to the far post where an unmarked Ryan Curtin was able to control the ball and fire beyond Cockerill. United then enjoyed possibly their best period of the game with Mealing heading over in the 22nd minute before, four minutes later, feeding the ball through to the returning Luke Ricketts who hit a powerful shot in to the roof of the net to restore the lead. Mealing then nearly got on to the score sheet with an acrobatic effort just wide, before, in the 29th minute, West poked a cross from Ricketts just wide of the near post. United were unable to capitalise at this point and Kidlington almost found an equaliser on half time when Curtin, through on goal, found Cockerill in fine form.

The second half lacked the intensity of the first, with Kidlington enjoying the majority of the possession and United content to sit back and hit their opponents on the break. However, despite the possession, Kidlington rarely threatened the home goal and, when they did, Cockerill was commanding in maintaining the lead.

This Thame United 2 Kidlington 1, win sees United move up to seventh in the league.

United: Cockerill, Evans, Jones, Hall, Hercules (Mulholland), Lynch, Connelly (Gledhill), Morris, Mealing, West, Ricketts

SOURCE: Contributed by Jake Collinge