Best of possession not enough for Thame Utd

IF possession won games of football, then United would have won this game three times over. It does not, and United were made to pay in the final few moments of the match.

United were the stronger of the two sides in the opening quarter of the match, with a Shannon Jesson drive after only two minutes well saved by the visiting keeper. Milton themselves nearly took the lead on 8 minutes when a through ball saw Matt Tapping in the Thame goal come quickly off his line to smoother the effort before the striker could get his shot away. The first controversial incident of the match arrived on 17 minutes when a cross from Ben Connelly was met by the head of Dan West, his effort coming back off the bar before being forced over the line. The match official, despite being some distance away, gave handball against West although there was no such contact, a point confirmed by the assistant referee.

Still United pressed forward and Dan Jones was next to go close with a 25 yard effort on 25 minutes, before Ben Connelly forced the next save from Griffith in the Milton goal, steering a cross from Luke Ricketts towards goal. Jones then went close, jinking his was through the Milton defence, only for the keeper to save at the near post.

The second half started in a similar vein, with Andy Gledhill – who had replaced the injured Jones at half time – steering a header just over the bar on 51 minutes following a sublime corner from Jesson. West then went close again on 60 minutes, heading wide from a Luke Ricketts cross, before Andy Gledhill saw his effort on 68 minutes miraculously cleared off the line. Dan Pounds then came on for his first team debut, forcing the keeper to make a save inside his first minute on the pitch, before Dan West was unable to make a one-on-one pay, steering his effort straight at Griffiths.

With fifteen minutes to go, Milton started to sense that they could get something out of the game and the winning goal duly arrived on 85 minutes. United were unable to clear their lines and the ball fell to Connor Harris who hit a powerful drive wide of Tapping and in to the roof of the net. United continued to press forward for an equaliser and, in the final minute, West was bundled over in the box for a clear penalty but the match official again saw it differently.

Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division – March 21, 2015 – Thame United 0, Milton United 1

United:
Tapping, Evans, Hall, Hercules, Jones (Gledhill) Kedzierski (Mulholland), Connelly, Morris, Jesson, West, Ricketts (Pounds)

SOURCE: Contributed