Thame And Abingdon Entertain In The Mud

LEAGUE MATCH 13/02/07 – REPORT: Abingdon Town 3, Thame United 1
Officials from both clubs were surprised that this game went ahead. The pitch was heavily waterlogged. Both goalmouths had the consistency of treacle whilst the rest of the pitch was a quagmire. Surprisingly however, despite heavy rain falling for the first hour, this turned out to be an entertaining match.

Thame?s defence was strengthened by the return of Robbie Eason and Greg Boult, whilst Adam Rhodes returned to midfield. Despite the result this was an encouraging performance from the young Thame side. The first 15 minutes was fairly even with chances at both ends. Thame then started to pressurize the home goal with Darren Moore, Adam Rhodes, Ant Dawson, and Nathan Jack all forcing good saves from the Abingdon goalkeeper Jonathan Beames 10 minutes before halftime Dawson hit the post with the Beames beaten. The visitor?s pressure was rewarded in the 44th minute when Jack made a great run on the right before cutting in and beating Beames from 20 yards. Thame went in for half time deservedly in the lead.

Abingdon came out fired up after the break and the pressure was on Thame. The equalizer came in the 55th minute when Daryl Hutt headed in from a corner. Four minutes later the ball was played into the path of onrushing substitute Andy Hough whose strong shot found the back of the Thame net. Thame fought back and both Jack and Dawson forced outstanding saves from the on-form Beames. On 78 minutes the contest was effectively ended when Hutt raced onto a through ball, and hit a shot which took a deflection before rolling into the net to make it 3-1. The final few minutes saw heavy pressure of the Abingdon goal but they held out the take the points.

Thame United: Farrow, Boult, Graves (Watkins), Hocking, Eason, Kitson, Connolly, Rhodes, Jack, Moore (Gough)

Thame travel to Witney Town next Saturday(17th) but are at ?home? to AFC Wallingford in a Cup game on Tuesday 20th February. (KO 7.45)