Wobbly defence by Thame United (Contributed)

LEAGUE GAME – Saturday, October 17, 2009: Thame United 3, Penn and Tylers Green 2 – MATCH REPORT

Thame United should have won this home game comfortably as they were by far the better side. Defensive errors in the last 30 minutes however, gave the visitors two goals, and although Thame took the points, the score was unnecessarily close.

Thame dominated from the start. Their first goal came after six minutes when they were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area on the right. Aaron Rogers, who had a particularly good game, took the kick and found Mark Jones who cleverly headed the ball down, pass the keeper from 5-yards. Seven minutes later, it was 2-0, again from a free kick. This time the infringement was central, just outside the area. Adam Rhodes took the kick and with a deceptively short run up, placed the ball in the top left of the goal.

At this point, the visitors had not mounted an attack, and a high scoring home win looked on the cards, but although Thame created several more chances, they were fruitless, and it was still 2-0 at half time. Such was their control however, that Thame keeper Lee Orkney was virtually untested and Thame had forced 11 corners to the visitors’ one.

The first part on the second half was similar with United putting together some good moves. Thame?s third came six minutes after the restart when Rogers played the ball from the left to the more central Stuart Barr, who took the ball to the left by-line and hit a perfect cross to allow Ben Connelly to head home off the underside of the crossbar from close range.

Although Thame continued to have more possession, they lost concentration in defence and allowed visiting striker, Ricci Putnam the space to run at goal unmarked and slide the ball pass the oncoming Orkney. On 76 minutes, yet another defensive slip allowed substitute Dan Craggs to gather a long ball and hit a 20 yard shot pass Orkney. In the last few minutes, the home side looked more likely to increase their lead than concede any more. Just before the final whistle, visiting central defender Dan Arnett received a straight red for a bad tackle.

This was the first league game in two months where Thame have failed to keep a clean sheet. The defensive problems need to be addressed quickly if they are to stand any chance of promotion.

Thame United: Orkney, Barnett, Meredith, Higgs, Hocking (El Kassir), Cowan, Connelly, A Rhodes, Jones (Braun), Rogers, Barr.

United visit Holyport next Saturday, The next home game is on 31st October when Milton United, who have only lost one game this season, are the visitors.