03/02/10 Thame United go top! (Contributed)

MATCH REPORT – Milton United 1 Thame United 3 – Hellenic League Division 1 East; Monday 1st February, 2010.

UNITED stormed to the top of the league on Monday evening with a convincing win over fancied promotion rivals Milton United.

With the band of Thame supporters still re-living the performance of the season the previous week at Rayners Lane, few could have anticipated that performance would be surpassed so quickly. Surpassed it was as United put on a clinical and professional display, with the final score line doing little to reflect their dominance and control of the game.

In cold, frosty conditions, it was United who were fastest out of the blocks, with Luke Ricketts and Stuart Barr causing problems down the flanks, and the inter-play between the strike pairing of Aaron Rogers and Stuart Braun resulting in confusion in the home defence. Indeed, it was Rogers who went closest in the opening ten minutes, clipping the crossbar with a 20 yard effort from wide right. Ten minutes later and his strike partner Braun did well to connect with a cross from Ricketts, heading the ball powerfully against the bar for a second time. At this stage Milton rarely troubled the Thame defence, which was well marshalled throughout the game by captain Nik Rhodes. Thame continued to pile on the pressure and were rewarded with the opening goal five minutes before half time. Luke Ricketts beat his marker on the wide left and did well to deliver an inch perfect cross from the by-line for Stuart Barr who headed home confidently from close range. It was no less than United deserved for their dominance of the opening half.

The second half started in similar vein and was only five minutes old when United increased their lead. Rogers did well to collect the ball on the wide right and crossed to Braun who, sandwiched between two defenders, controlled the ball on his in-step before confidently finishing low in to the bottom left from the edge of the box. At this stage, United could have been forgiven for sitting back, but they continued to press forward and the third goal duly arrived 15 minutes later when Rogers again crossed from the right but this time it was Barr who controlled the ball on his chest before drilling home from 8 yards. Three nearly became four five minutes later when Rogers crashed a header from Ricketts corner against the bar for a third time.

With ten minutes still to play, Searl in the Thame goal had rarely been threatened, but he was beaten by a deflected shot from the experienced Milton striker Concannon in the 81st minute. However, by this stage it was game over and United took the three points to send them top of the league, two points clear of nearest rivals, Wokingham.

United are without a game this weekend, but return to league action on 13th February with their first home fixture since December. United entertain Didcot Town Reserves with a 3:00pm kick off at AFC Wallingford.

Thame United: Searl, Newell, Meredith, Boult, N.Rhodes, El-Kassir, A.Rhodes, Barr, Rogers (Jones), Braun (Way), Ricketts