First league draw of the season for Thame

DESPITE a brace from Conor McDonagh, Thame United were unable to secure a win at Wootton Bassett Town on Saturday (07/03) as they secured their first league draw since September.

The game got off to a frenetic opening, with the hosts taking the lead inside the opening minute. A ball in from the right by Joe Hiscock evaded both defenders and attackers, and went in off the far post with Matt Tapping in the Thame goal stranded. The lead, however only lasted for a couple of minutes. Dan West did well to earn a corner and from the resultant cross, McDonagh was on hand at the far post to finish confidently.

With the game still less than 10 minutes old, Wootton Bassett Town then took the lead for a second time. A cross-field ball found Nathan Gamblin in space on the wide left, beat Ben Connelly and hit a powerful effort beyond Tapping from 20 yards. United then pressed forward in search of an equaliser with McDonagh going close following a direct through ball from Tapping, before Dan West hit a 20 yard volley just wide following good link-up play with Luke Ricketts.

McDonagh then saw a deflected effort go wide for a corner, before the equaliser arrived on 28 minutes. West did well to force an error in the Wootton Bassett defence, squaring the ball to McDonagh who rolled the ball in to an unguarded goal from the edge of the box, scoring his seventh goal in three games in the process.

With the game all square at half time, United came out the stronger of the two sides in the second half and McDonagh fired over from 15 yards on 53 minutes. Five minutes later and Dan Jones swung a corner in to the box that Ellis Hercules flicked on at the near post, but West was unable to connect when well placed. Shortly afterwards Luke Ricketts was presented with a chance following good play between McDonagh and West, but his effort from 20 yards went wide. Following the early pressure of the half, the home side gradually got a foot-hold in the game and pressed United with Tapping saving well on a couple of occasions.

United thought they had taken the lead with 15 minutes to go. Dan West was fouled on the edge of the box, and took a quick free kick to McDonagh, who beat his marker and coolly side-footed the ball in to the far corner of the goal. Somewhat inexplicably, however, the referee called the game back for the free kick to be re-taken. That was the last meaningful goal mouth action of the game for United, although there was still time for McDonagh and Wootton Bassett captain, Steve Yeardley, to see red, and for Tapping to pull off a fine save low to his right.

Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division – Wootton Bassett Town 2 Thame United 2

United: Tapping, Connelly, Hall, Hercules, Mulholland, Lynch (Jesson), Jones (Gray), Morris, McDonagh, West, Ricketts.

SOURCE: Contributed