Thame United Outclassed At Hungerford (Contributed)

THAME United were outclassed at Hungerford on Saturday, The home team being better organized, passing the ball crisply and generally more purposeful than their younger opponents.

The ball had not crossed the halfway line into Hungerford?s half when, after two minutes a Thame clearance fell to Bradley Ward who hit a powerful shot from 25 yards which took a deflection before finding the back of the Thame net.
Twelve minutes later a cross from a short corner fell to the feet of defender, Nick McCrae, amazingly unmarked six yards from goal and able to shoot home for Hungerford?s second. The game was effectively over as a contest in the 17th minute when Ward hit a beautiful volley from the edge of the area to make it 3-0.
Thame pulled a goal back five minutes before half time when a ball from Sion Kitson found Nathan Jack who beat his man, sprinted to the by line and hit a low cross which Paul Reading tapped in at the far post.
The home team continued to control the game in the second half with the talented Shaun Terry scoring a hat trick with goals in the 48th, 61st and 63rd minute. Thame went close to a second when Sam Cowan forced a good save from the home goalkeeper and in the final minute Sion kitson has a good chance when he followed up on a parried Nathan Jack shot, but sadly Thame were unable to reduce the deficit.

This was only player/manager?s Mark West?s second game in control after his return to the club, and there were times when improvements could be seen in the way the team functioned. It is becoming clear however that he will have to make some changes in order to raise the club clear of the relegation zone.

Thame United: Farrow, Higgs, Watkins, Graves, Hocking, Kitson, Connelly, West (Cairns), Jack, Reading (Bell), Dawson.

Thame United entertain Hounslow Borough next Saturday, February at Hithercroft Stadium (Wallingford). Thame beat Hounslow away 2-3 in early September

Bob Dixon