Kintbury Rovers 2, Thame United 1

14/8/07 League

Thame United were on the wrong end of a 2-1 score line on Tuesday evening against Kintbury in a game that they could have won comfortably had they taken their early chances.

Thame opened brightly with the midfield pairing of Stuart Braun and Adam Rhodes taking an early grip on the game, feeding the forward line and utilising the wider players. Both Braun and Rhodes tested the home keeper with long distance efforts in the first 15 minutes, followed by two good chances for striker Matt Leach, who was unfortunate on both occasions. With the defence well-marshaled by the centre back pairing of Matt Graves and Dave Hocking, Thame nullified the Kintbury attack for the first 40 minutes. However, a lapse in concentration five minutes before half time saw Kintbury take the lead when a cross field ball from the right was met on the six yard line by the on rushing Kintbury striker who gave Searl in the Thame goal no chance.

Kintbury went 2-0 up five minutes in to the second half when a shot from the right deflected off the unfortunate Hocking and past Searl. Thame then stepped up a gear and after a Paul Reading effort was disallowed for off-side, Thame pulled a goal back in the 65^th minute when a free kick from Rhodes was side-footed home by Matt Graves. Despite pushing for the equaliser, Thame could not find a way past the resilient Kintbury defence, to leave the home side with their second win of the season.

Thame United: Searl, Way, Watkins, Graves, Hocking, Rhodes, Connelly (Bloomfield), Braun, Barr, Reading (Rodgers), Leach (Ansell)