03/04/10…Thame strengthen their lead at Kintbury

LEAGUE MATCH – 03/04/10 – Thame United 4 Vs Kintbury Rangers 0; MATCH REPORT – United strengthened their position as league leaders at Wallingford on Saturday with a 4-0 win over Kintbury Rovers. All four goals came in the second half.

The first 35 minutes were uneventful with neither side creating any real chances and very little to choose between the two sides. With about 10 minutes of the half remaining however, Thame left winger, Luke Ricketts and Right winger, Stuart Barr, swapped positions and United were immediately more of a threat. Thame found the back of the net when Mark Jones met a Ricketts free kick but he was ruled off-side. Minutes later another Jones header was cleared off the line by a defender. Both Barr and Jones forced good saves from impressive visiting keeper Kane Roberts before the break.

Three minutes after the restart Roberts made an outstanding save, with his legs, from a Ricketts shot. Thame were now in control but the game was still goalless. The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute when another Ricketts shot on the right was blocked by a defender but this time the ball fell to Jones who did well to hit a strong, acutely angled shot pass Roberts from 15-Yards. Thame?s second goal came with 15 minutes remaining when Lawrence El-Kassir met a corner near the far post and headed back across goal, where the ball struck a defender, and was deflected over the line. Following Barr?s substitution, Ricketts moved back to the left wing from where he created the third goal.

With nine minutes remaining, Ricketts collected a ball from Aaron Rogers and ran at goal before unleashed a strong shot which Roberts parried, but which then fell into the path of the onrushing Jones, who finished well from close range. Thame?s final goal came three minutes later and, if the TV cameras had been there, it would have been a strong contender for goal of the month. Talented striker Rogers robbed an opponent of the ball on the right, about 10-yards into the visitor?s half, and ran to the corner of the area from where he hit a superb shot over Roberts and into the top left corner. Although Kintbury tried to respond, they were a spent force and Thame kept another clean sheet.

This was United?s ninth successive win. They are now 15 points clear at the top of the league and are one of only three clubs who could now take the title.

Thame United: Searle, Newell, Meredith, Cowan, N. Rhodes, El Kassir, Barr (Hoskin), A. Rhodes, Jones, Rogers (J Way), Ricketts (Wakelin).

United are away to Newbury next Saturday (10th). Their next home game is on 24th April when Eton Wick are the visitors.