Thame knocking at Highmoor’s door after tenth win in a row

IN a game of two halves/12) on Saturday (09/12) when Thame United came back from being 2-0 down against Abingdon United at half time, to take the points with an 88th minute winner from Ben Gray.

Playing with the ferocious wind behind them in the first half, it was the visitors who dominated territory and possession, although United made a number of early forays into the final third of the field, without troubling Farrow in the Abingdon goal. Nevertheless, the first real action came in the 20th minute when Matt Hall cleared off the line, with Josh Cockerill turning a powerful drive around the post for a corner a minute later. The best chance of the half for United arrived in the 23rd minute, when Ben Gray found himself through on goal, only to see his shot go wide of the near post.

The opening goal arrived for Abingdon on 29 minutes when a cross in to the box was headed against the crossbar with Anaclet Odihambo on hand to head the ball home from close range. It was two on 41 minutes when a through ball inadvertently caught Ellis Hercules on the back and, with Cockerill advancing to collect the original ball, he was out of position and Kieron Cochrane lobbed the ball home from the edge of the box.

While United knew the wind was behind them in the second half, it was still going to be a tough task to turn around a two goal deficit. However, they pulled a goal back only three minutes into the half when a free kick in to the box by skipper Adam Morris was met by the head of Dan West at the far post, with the header beating Farrow, despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball.

Chances came and went for United with West, Morris and Dan Jones all going close before, on 75 minutes, a Jones corner to the far post was poked home by West. At this point, it was United who looked the more likely to get the winner and it duly arrived on 88 minutes. A through ball found Ben Gray on the wide left, who cut in on to his right foot and placed a low shot to Farrow’s left. Whilst Farrow got a hand to the ball, he could not stop it from crossing the line and, at this point, the turn-around was complete.

It was now for Abingdon to push forward and, with almost the last incident of the game, it was a heart in the mouth moment as an Abingdon player went down on the edge of the box, but the referee waved away their appeals.

The result, United’s tenth successive league victory, moves them up to third, and three points off leaders, Highmoor Ibis, with two games in hand.

Thame United 3 Abingdon United 2

United:
Cockerill, Evans (Connelly), Hall, Hercules, Coverley, Lynch, Jones, Morris, West, Gray (Jesson), Ricketts
Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division

SOURCE: Contributed by Jake Collinge