Seasonal low for Thame United (Contributed)
MATCH REPORT: League game – 25/10/08 -Thame United 2, Holyport 5.
This was Thame’s heaviest defeat this season. Yet, with 20 minutes of normal time remaining, they were leading with fives minutes to play, the scores were even. On the balance of 85 minutes play, a draw would
have been a fair result.
The first half was goalless. The best chance of the half was a superb glancing header by Thame’s Matt Miller, which forced a brilliant save from the visiting goalkeeper. Apart from that one moment of quality, the half was fairly flat, with Thame just edging it.
Holyport went ahead ten minutes into the second half when visiting captain, Chris Woods, hit a strong 15-yard shot that took a deflection to beat Paul Searl. Thame were on level terms two minutes later when Ben
Connelly hit a cross from the right, which the visiting keeper misjudged and deflected into his own net.
The home side took the lead on 58 minutes when the ball was played to Miller who beat the advancing keeper and hit an acute shot which was about to cross the line, when Adam Rhodes and a defender both went for the ball and helped it over. The goal was awarded to Miller.
The visitors fought back and Woods struck again on 74 minutes with a well-placed 20-yard shotgiving Searl no chance.
Then disaster struck! Central defender Matt Graves, who had played a key role in Thame’s defence, and was my man if the match, was substituted with a groin strain. Without his leadership ‘at the back’ the final 10 minutes turned into a rout.
On 86 minutes, Aaron Yennon met a corner with a glancing near post header to put the visitors in
front. Two minutes later Jake Brooks headed another corner in at the far post. Thame’s defensive problems then got worse when right back, Lee Thompson, went off injured. Holyport’s final goal came in injury time
when unmarked striker, Lee Jerrum, picked up a long ball from his left and ran 30 yards before rounding Searl and finishing well.
Thame United: Searl, Thompson (Williams), Newell, N Rhodes, Graves (Stocker), Cowan, Connelly, El-Kassir (Hoskins), Miller, A Rhodes, Wallace.
Thame entertain Newbury next Saturday, November 1.
