07/02/13….Win for Thame after four-weeks of weather delays

MATCH REPORT (Contributed): League match – 02/02/13; United 3, Highmoor Ibis 1 – AFTER a weather enforced rest of almost four weeks, Thame United met Highmore Ibis at the ASM Stadium on Saturday, winning 3-1.

United were without Luke Ricketts and Niall Hogkins whilst Ben Connelly, who is recovering from injury, started on the bench. Highmoor had won six of their last seven games so a close match was both anticipated and delivered. For much of the game Thame had the bulk of possession but the visitors were always dangerous on the break.

Highmoor was the first to score, when after 12 minutes Liam Ferdinand pounced on a defensive error and fired home from the edge of the box, giving Thame keeper, Lee Farrow, no chance. Thame countered and pressurised the visitors’ goal. The equaliser came on 29 minutes when a perfectly placed Dan West free kick from near the half way line found Alex Stewart whose intelligent glancing header hit the net, despite the keeper getting a hand to it.

Minutes later Ben Gray saw his shot cleared off the line by a defender. The teams went in for half time with the score 1-1.

United took the lead two minutes after the restart when Gray fired home from 15 yards. The game ebbed and flowed with chances at both ends. Stuart Barr was scythed down by a late tackle which the referee ignored, despite having booked several players for lesser offences. Barr was carried from the pitch and Connelly came on to replace him.

The visitors pressed for an equaliser and Farrow was forced to make some high quality saves. United?s final goal came in the last minute. The ball was played to Stewart who cleverly beat his marker and put Connelly through on the right, where he ran towards the by-line before squaring to Gray who finished confidently from 12 yards. The result sees United move up to sixth in the table.

Thame United: Farrow, Meredith, Hall, Hercules, Rhodes, Jewell, Barr (Connelly), West, Stewart, Gray, (Evans), Way (P Pykett)

The first team travel to Shrivenham next Saturday 9th whilst the reserves meet Binfield at the ASM Stadium.