Thame draws with landlord, Wallingford
MATCH REPORT: AFC WALLINGFORD 1, v THAME UNITED, August 01, 2009.
United secured a draw with landlords AFC Wallingford in a hard fought encounter at the Hithercroft Stadium last Saturday.
United started the brighter of the two sides and should have opened the scoring as early as the second minute when a pin-point cross from Stuart Barr on the right was met by a powerful header from Luke Ricketts but was well saved by the home keeper. The following twenty minutes saw AFC Wallingford gain the ascendancy with their quick attacking football and keeper Orkney needed to be alert on a number of occasions over this period. However, the next best chance fell to United, with midfielder Lawrence El-Kassir blasting a volley over the bar from 18 yards in the 28th minute. Five minutes later and striker John Mitchell did well to feed Adam Rhodes just inside the box whose square ball to Barr was met by a powerful drive just the wrong side of the post. Barr had another opportunity three minutes before the break but again saw his effort go wide.
United made a number of substitutions at half time and it was Wallingford who were quicker out of the blocks. Orkney again had to be alert in the 54th minute, doing well to push a header around the post, before United should have taken the lead when Greg Stocker drove the ball at the keeper from a wide angle, with the ricochet, albeit at high speed, being put wide by Mitchell. However, it was Wallingford who took the lead in the 70th minute. A deep corner from the right was headed back across goal where the Wallingford striker was able to comfortably score from close range. United nearly equalised a minute later when Rhodes made a good run to the by-line, passing the ball back to Mark Jones whose effort was then cleared off the line. The equaliser arrived three minutes later. Manager Mark West fed Stocker on the right whose first time cross was confidently headed beyond the keeper by Jones for his second goal in as many games. In the final ten minutes, the best chance fell to Stocker, who placed narrowly wide from an acute angle.
United travel to Buckingham Town on Tuesday evening for their final scheduled friendly before the start of the season (7;45pm kick off).
United Squad: Orkney, P.Way, G.Way, Newell, N.Rhodes, Hocking, El-Kassir, A.Rhodes, Barr, Ricketts, Jones, Mitchell, Barnett, Wakelin, Peverill, Bailey, Stocker, West.
1st August 2009
Photo: Thame’s scorer, Mark Jones
