Thame United still unbeaten in league campaign

SATURDAY, October 10, 2009 – SCORE: Finchampstead 0, versus Thame United 2; Match report:

UNITED maintained their unbeaten start to the league campaign with a hard fought win at sixth placed Finchampstead on Saturday.

The result owed much to the form of keeper Paul Searl as United found it hard to break down the home defence. The most telling contribution from Searl came ten minutes before the break when, with United already leading 1-0, defender Mitchell Meredith was adjudged to have fouled striker Bobby Hogg in the penalty area. Pat Selby drove the resultant penalty powerfully down the centre of the goal and, with Searl already committed to diving to his right, his outstretched left arm somehow managed to keep the ball out and push it away from goal where Selby collected the ball only for Searl to again save his goal bound effort. This proved to be as near as Finchampstead got to scoring, but nevertheless was a turning point for the game.

Ten minutes earlier United had taken the lead when Stuart Barr got the faintest of touches to an Adam Rhodes free kick and, with the assistance of a deflection off a defender the ball found its way in to the back of the net. Until then United had been in the ascendancy and were unlucky not to have already been further ahead following good efforts from Ben Connelly, Nik Rhodes and Aaron Rogers.

The second period began with Finchampstead putting more pressure on the Thame goal without really causing the defence, or Searl, any particular problems. United themselves were dangerous when breaking forward and nearly added to their lead in the 65th minute when Aaron Rogers floated a cross from the right that beat the keeper and was heading for the back of the net until the unfortunate Mark Jones, who had pushed forward for the cross, inadvertently blocked the ball on the line. As it was, United had to wait until the 89th minute to extend their lead when, with Finchampstead pushing forward, United broke down the right. With Connelly picking-up the ball on the half way line he beat two defenders and with the keeper coming out to collect the ball, Connelly managed to stab the ball across the six yard line where Sam Cowan was on hand to score from close range.

The win pushes United up to fourth in the league and well-placed with up to five games in hand on their promotion rivals. On Saturday United face Penn & Tylers Green at home (AFC Wallingford; 3:00pm kick off), opponents they have never beaten in the league.

Thame United ? Searl, Barnett, Meredith, Hocking, N.Rhodes, Cowan, A.Rhodes, Barr (G.Way), Jones (Higgs), Rogers, Connelly (El-Kassir).