19/12/12…Thame squeek through to next round of the Oxfordshire Cup

OXFORDSHIRE Senior Cup, 3rd round – Thame United 1, Ardley United 0; 18/12/12 – Match report: Thame United progressed to the next round of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup at the ASM stadium on Tuesday evening, by the narrowest of margins. After 90 minutes, during which neither side were able to score, the game went into extra time, and the deadlock was eventually broken only after 100 minutes of play.

The visitors started brightly, forcing a good save from the on-form Thame keeper, Lee Farrow, within the first five minutes. Thame then settled and possession was 50/50 for the remainder of the game. Both sides were hitting long balls from defence, over the heads of opposing defenders to their two strikers. Half chances fell to Adam Rhodes, Niall Hodgkins, Ben Gray, and Luke Rickets, but they were all off-target.

Perhaps Thame?s best chance came a few minutes after the restart when Matt Hall ran to the left by-line and hit a low ball across the six-yard box, but both Gray and Hodgkins failed to connect. Minutes later, following a corner, an Ellis Hercules header was just high. Farrow, who was the busier keeper, made an outstanding save when he tipped a long shot onto the top of the Thame crossbar. Defences dominated and the sides effectively cancelled each other out.

The game went into extra time with the prospect of a penalty shoot out to follow. Ten minutes into the first period Dan West collected the ball on the left of the area before beating two defenders and heading towards goal. He was then tripped and the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. After the inevitable protests died down and the offender was shown a yellow card, Mitchell Meredith buried the spot kick. The remainder of the match was tense, as Ardley fought to get an equaliser but Thame held out and will play in the fourth round.

Thame United: Farrow, Willet, Meredith, Hercules, A Rhodes, Connelly, West, Hodgkins (Way), Gray (Johnson), Ricketts.