Out of form Thame lose to Ascot

LEAGUE GAME – March 1, Thame United 1, Ascot United 3; Match report:
ASCOT United earned their win on Saturday. They were by no means the best team that Thame have faced this season and an in-form Thame side would have brushed Ascot aside. Thame however did not play well, and despite the return from Injury of leading Goal scorer Nathan Jack, seem to be going through a period where they to have lost the ability to score goals.

Ascot?s first goal came four minutes after the start. Thame appeared to have prevented an Ascot chance when Matt Higgs collected the ball at the edge of the Thame penalty area. Visiting winger Steve Curtis had other ideas as he cheekily took the ball from the normally dependable Higgs, turned, and then confidently beat goalkeeper Paul Searl from 10 yards. Higgs however redeemed himself on 15 minutes when he cleared a goal bound header off the goal line.

Although possession was fairly even, Thame rarely troubled the visiting goalkeeper. The visitor?s second goal came after 19 minutes when Richard Mills collected the ball just inside the Thame half, beat his marker, and ran at the Thame Goal before hitting a well placed shot from 15 yards. In the 32nd minute it was Thame 0, Ascot 3 when the unfortunate Higgs was again robbed of the ball. This time it was passed to Sam Dennison whose miss-hit cross beat Searl to finish in the back of the Thame goal. Manager Mark West decided it was not going to be Higgs?s day, so he brought him off and sent substitute Matt Graves on. Thame went in for half time loosing by three goals and with the visiting goalkeeper largely unthreatened.

The second half followed a similar pattern and Searl was forced to make some good saves to prevent the deficit from getting any worse. Thame?s goal came in the 84th minute when, just after a Thame attack seemed to have broken down, Adam Rhodes hit a cross from the right which Graeme Catlin meet with a superb glancing header that found the top corner of the visitor?s net.

Thame United: Searl, Thompson, Watkins (Leach), Higgs (Graves), Hocking, Cowan, Connelly, Rhodes, Catlin, Jack, Ricketts.

Thame are at home to 2nd placed Marlow United next Saturday 8th March.