It’s a dozen wins in a row for Thame

WITH both sides coming in to the fixture in good form an entertaining match was anticipated, and so it proved to be on Saturday (10/01), when Thame Utd beat Bracknell town 2 – 0.

Playing with the strong breeze in the first half, it was the visitors who started the strongest and for much of the opening ten minutes United were unable to secure any meaningful possession in the opponents half. When they did, however, Captain, Adam Morris, went close with a 20-yard drive on 10 minutes before, three minutes later, Luke Ricketts burst in to the box but was well tackled as he was about to shoot. Ben Gray volleyed over shortly afterwards, but the opening goal arrived on 16 minutes when Gray scored from close range. Bracknell then pressed and, on 26 minutes, a Sam Whiting free-kick for the visitors crashed off the post from 25 yards after a foul by Ollie Lynch.

Whilst Bracknell continued to press, United went close to extending the lead in the final five minutes of the half, first via a Gray header that went over from a Ricketts cross, and then a Dan West drive two minutes later.

United opened the second half in more determined mood, pressing their opponents and, as a consequence, enjoyed more possession. However, opportunities for both sides were limited, with Tapping in the Thame goal doing well to smoother a couple of shots, and United unable to trouble Aulsberry in the Bracknell goal. Nevertheless, on 75 minutes, United won a corner and Dan Jones, who had worked tirelessly all game, crossed for Ellis Hercules to head home from eight yards. The same routine nearly worked twice more in the next five minutes, but Hercules was unable to find the back of the net. A Morris effort was then blocked before a West cross evaded the on-running strikers and was cleared.

As it was, United held on in the last few minutes to claim their 12th consecutive league win – a win that maintained their fourth place position but saw them close the gap on Highmoor Ibis and Kidlington who drew in a top of the table clash.

United:
Tapping, Evans, Hall, Hercules, Mulholland, Lynch, Jones (Kedzierski), Morris, Gray (Hodgkins), West (Gledhill), Ricketts.