Thame United travelled to Bedfordshire for the second time in four days to take on Bedford Town at the Eyrie Stadium in Division one of the Pitching in South League, with high flying Bedford currently sitting in second place in the table and looking for automatic promotion, this was going to be a difficult night for the visitors.

There was one change to the starting line up from the side that were victorious on Saturday, with Louis Fountain replacing Jayden Carbon. On the bench Romero Ebona a recent recruit from MK Dons academy replaced Fabien Etienne while Ryan Knight and Theo Ransby also dropped out. Dani Lucas returned from illness.

It was a miserable night in Bedfordshire with the rain that started in the afternoon continuing so it made pitch conditions difficult. The game kicked off with the visitors determined to take the game to Thame and pushed the visitors back and a had couple of early corners and after only 3 minutes had the ball in the back of the net, a corner wasn’t cleared properly and as the ball came back into the box and a Bedford player was first to react and touch the ball into the net, a soft goal to concede. From the early setback Thame came back strongly and had a couple of chances before the equaliser came on 24 minutes. Thame had won a corner the ball was played into the box, and was headed towards the far corner it came back off of the post with the keeper beaten and Jefferson Louis was first to react to head into the net. Both teams had chances to take the lead but it remained 1 -1 at half time, Thame very much in the game and you wouldn’t believe there was18 places in the table between the two teams.

The second half started in almost identical fashion to the first half with Thame conceding a soft goal on 48 minutes. Bedford had won a free kick on their left had side, as the ball was played into the box it was flicked on at the near post, Keeper Davis could hold the ball and rebound off of him and the post into the net. The visitors made two attacking Substitutes with Jayden Carbon and Dani Lucas replacing Louis Fountain and Eitel Goueth the later pulling up with a hamstring twinge. Harry Alexander was moved into playing the central striker role and looked dangerous when running at the Bedford defence. Since the Bedford goal Thame had been the better side and were pushing the home side back, their reward for their dominate play came on 73 minutes, a corner was won and as the ball came into the box, Mark Riddick rose above the Bedford defence to guide the ball into the net, no more than the visitors deserved.

The lead did not last long from a Bedford counter attack a long ball was played out to the Bedford winger on their left hand side, who had acres of space to collect the ball and run into the box, and fire a shot into the corner of the net, against the run of play. Thame fought back and had three great chances to equalise, in the final few minutes, firstly Jayden Carbon had a free kick on the Thame left, his shot was tipped onto the post by the Bedford keeper and out for a corner. Harry Alexander then found himself running into the box and his shot forced the keeper into another good save. Romeo Ebono made his debit replacing Mark Riddick who had picked up a yellow card. Bedford had another chance to wrap the game up on 89 minutes a cross from the right found the Bedford striker on the six yard box but couldn’t finish. There was still one more chance for Thame as Matty Harriott runs into the box in the last minute and his shot looked to be finding the far corner of the net only for the Bedford keeper to get a hand to the ball and push it away. That was the last of the action. Defeat in Bedfordshire but a very good performance and Thame were very unlucky not to come away with at least a point. Next up is a home tie with Ware at the ASM Stadium on Saturday 30 March 3pm kick off.

Goals

Jefferson Louis 24 minutes
Mark Riddick 73 minutes

Line Up
Archie Davis
Oscar Lucey
Rashane Maxwell
Fin Murray
Ethan Lack
Mark Riddick (Romero Ebona 88 minutes)
Matty Harriot
Jefferson Louis
Louis Fountain (Jayden Carbon 66 minutes)
Eitel Goueth (Dani Lucas 67 minutes)
Harry Alexander

Substitutes
Romero Ebona
Pierce McNamara
Dani Lucas
Jayden Carbon