Finchampstead 0, Thame United 4,
20/10/07 League
Thame United returned
to winning ways with a comfortable 4-0 victory at Finchampstead
last Saturday. It was a game in which they could have scored twice the number
of goals, but were equally indebted to keeper Paul Searl who made a number of
fine saves.
Despite giving a
debut to striker Gary Marshall, signed from Old Woodstock Town earlier in the
week, it was Finchampstead who started the brighter
of the two sides, with Searl forced to make two saves in the opening quarter of
an hour. However, it was United who took the lead in
the 21st minute when a cross from Nathan Jack caused problems for
the Finchampstead keeper and Ben Connelly was on hand
to convert from close range. United extend the lead in the 36th
minute when a beautifully weighted cross from Luke Ricketts was met by the head
of Matt Higgs to give the home keeper no chance.
The game was
effectively over three minutes in to the second half when, following good
interplay between Jack and Marshall, Jack found himself with back to goal 12
yards out and turned to strike the ball beyond the despairing dive of the home
keeper and in off the far post. Finchampstead then
enjoyed their best period of the game but were unable to beat the in-form Searl
and, indeed, it was Adam Rhodes who went closest to scoring when his goal bound
shot was turned around the post in the 76th minute. However, United
wrapped-up the game in stoppage time when substitute and Thame player-manager,
Mark West, struck the ball high in to the roof of the net from an acute angle.
The win moves Thame up in to sixth place in the League.
Thame United: Paul Searl, Thompson, Graves (Ansell),
Higgs, Hocking (Catlin), Boult,
Connelly, Rhodes, Jack,