Ascot United 0, Thame United 1

8/9/07 League

Thame won their fifth game in a row and moved in to fourth position in the league with a hard fought victory at Ascot United last Saturday. At the picturesque home of Ascot United, adjacent to the racecourse, the first half was an even affair with neither side creating many goal scoring opportunities, the best for Thame falling to full back Matt Graves who could not beat the Ascot keeper from 25 yards.

For the second week in a row, the half time team talk from Mark West seemed to have the desired effect as Thame came out the stronger of the two sides. Indeed, with only three minutes gone in the second half, Chris Watkins crossed from the left for Paul Reading to confidently volley home from 10 yards. This seemed to settle Thame as they began to take a grip on the game and, in the space of five minutes, had four good chances to extend their lead. The best chance fell to Ben Connelly who, on one of his trademark jinking runs beat four players only for the goalkeeper to save his goal bound shot at the near post.

The missed chances looked like they may cost Thame as Ascot threw everyone forward in the last ten minutes. However, some good saves from keeper Paul Searl and wayward finishing from the Ascot forwards meant it was Thame who returned home with the three points.

Thame United: Searl, Cowan, Graves, Boult, Hocking, Higgs, Connelly, Rhodes, Reading (West), Braun (Catlin), Watkins (Ricketts).