Thame United beats Oxford City (Status: Contributed)

THAME United opened their pre-season campaign with a match against Southern League Premier Division new boys, Oxford City, at Watlington on Tuesday evening (15/07/08).
The score was Thame United 3, Oxford City 0.

Despite being three leagues higher than Thame, City were never really in the game as United came away with a hard earned but well-deserved victory in which all First Team squad players took part.

United took the lead after only four minutes when Ben Connelly was fouled in the box and striker Matt Miller calmly dispatched the penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way. United dominated possession for the next twenty minutes until a mix-up in the Thame defence let in former Thame player, Alex Stewart who, in attempting to walk the ball in to the net, was caught by new signing Steve Newell who produced a goal saving tackle to keep Thame in front. Five minutes later and United were 2-0 ahead thanks to an opportunistic goal from Ben Connelly. Connelly collected the ball on the edge of the centre circle and, spotting the high line of the City defence, chipped the ball over the City centre backs, and raced through before rounding the keeper and scoring with ease.

2-0 to the good at half time, United made a number of substitutions in the early part of the second half and City came more in to the game. Searl produced a fine save from Bell, before seeing a Stewart header come back off his bar. However, it was United who extended their lead after 75 minutes. Thomas Hoskin was fouled on the edge of the box and Daniel West stepped up to place the free kick around the wall and beyond the despairing dive of the City keeper. Whilst City looked for a consolation goal in the remaining 15 minutes, the United defence held out and secured a morale boosting victory against higher league opposition.

United travel to Shrivenham on Saturday 19th July, 3:00pm kick off, before entertaining Winslow United at Watlington on Friday 25th July (6:30pm kick off).

Squad: Searl, Newell, Ansell, Graves, Hocking, Cowan, Catlin, Connelly, Ricketts, Brougham, Miller, Gascoyne, Rogers, Leach, Hoskin, West, Stocker, Bloomfield, Bell.