Thatcham ends Thame’s twelve-match winning run

THE twelve match winning run had to come to an end at some point, and it did at the thirteenth game of asking at a damp and cold Riverside Park on Saturday (17/01/15).

And it was a much deserved victory for the home side as they completely nullified United’s normal game, and played with tenacity and no little skill in breaking down the United back line. The warning signs were apparent from the first minute when the ball flashed across the Thame goal, before United created, what ultimately turned out to be, their two best chances of the match.

First, after seven minutes, Ben Gray skewed an effort wide from eight yards when, well found by Luke Ricketts before, three minutes later, the same player’s goal bound effort was blocked. Thatcham then came forward, finding space down both flanks, and nearly took the lead on twenty minutes when a shot from 20 yards clipped the top of the bar. A short while later the home side took the lead when Matt Tapping in the Thame goal could only parry a shot into the path of Josh Stockwell who finished from close range.

For the remainder of the half it was Thatcham who enjoyed the majority of the possession, with United content to hit the home side on the break, but finding the centre back pairing of Hughes and Thomas in commanding form.

The second half opened with renewed urgency from United, and the home side were on the back foot for the first few minutes. However, the normal pattern of play was soon resumed and, when Ellis Hercules was adjudged to have handled the ball 25-yards from goal on 60 minutes, Stockwell stepped-up to place the free kick over the wall and into the far corner of the goal for a two-nil lead. Manager Mark West immediately made changes, moving to a back three, but Thatcham continued to dominate possession whilst United looked to get behind the Thatcham back line. Tapping then made a fine save to keep United in the game, whilst Luke Ricketts went closest for Thame on 80 minutes, placing an effort just wide from ten yards. Final score: Thatcham Town 2, Thame United 0.

As it was, the home side thoroughly deserved the victory and United will be looking to start another winning run on Saturday when Wootton Bassett Town are the visitors to the ASM Stadium.

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

SOURCE: Contributed by Jake Collinge