Thame United 2, Wokingham
& Emmbrook 2
13/8/07 League
Thame United started the new season last Saturday with a draw against former Ryman league club Wokingham & Emmbrook. It was a close affair, played on a hot afternoon, which neither side deserved to loose.
The first 20 minutes were fairly even but then Thame started to gain the upper hand. The Thame pressure was rewarded in the 30th minute when Chris Watkins hit a low cross from the left. The ball eluded players from both sides before Adam Rhodes met it with a well placed right foot volley, from 8 yards, which finished low in the left hand corner on the Wokingham goal. A few minutes later Ben Connolly made a good run on goal from the halfway line but scuffed his shot which was easily collected by the visiting goalkeeper.
Wokingham countered, and could have equalised 5 minutes before the break when, with the Thame defence frozen and appealing for off side, goalkeeper Paul Searl was forced to come out to meet the danger. The ball was played square, stranding Searl, but the goal bound Wokingham shot was brilliantly headed off the line by Dave Hocking.
Wokingham came out from the break fired up and Thame were ‘on the back foot’ for much of the second half. The visitors equalised on 58 minutes when substitute Don Harris met a free kick with a good header that finished in the top right hand corner of the Thame goal, giving Paul Searl no chance. Wokingham continued the pressure but Thame defended well with Hocking again heading off the line. With 7 minutes remaining Searl pulled of a particularly good save when he tipped a lobbed goal bound header over the crossbar. It was ironic therefore that Wokingham’s second goal, in the 88th minute was the result of Searl fumbling, and dropping a bouncing ball into the path of visiting striker Sam Sherwood who deflected the ball into an open goal. It looked game over, but Thame countered and got the equaliser in the final minute when, following a goalmouth scramble the ball fell to Hocking who headed home.
Thame United: Searl,
Way, Watkins, Hocking, Higgs, Braun, Connelly, Rhodes, Reading (Ricketts),
Leach (