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Kempston Rovers   0   Thame United   4

Kempston Rovers 0 Thame United 4

Jake Collinge20 Dec 2017 - 23:44
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United produced their most impressive away performance of the season as they defeated play-off hopefuls Kempston Rovers 4-0 on Tuesday evening.

The only changes from the side that had beaten Fleet Town by the same score line saw Adam Morris came in to Central Midfield for the ill Tom Ashworth, with the unavailable Luke Ricketts replaced by Ben Connelly.

On a somewhat dank evening and a claggy surface, United played up the noticeable slope in the first half and, after only two minutes, had taken the lead. Lynton Goss – from just inside the Kempston half - cleverly turned the ball in to the path of Dan West who raced clear and coolly chipped Conway in the home goal.

The home side pressed immediately and had a great opportunity to equalise on 8 minutes when United failed to clear a ball in to their six-yard box and Nathan Tshikuna turned and struck the bar. Although that transpired to be the clearest opportunity for the hosts, they had the balance of play throughout the half, but a well-organised United defence limited any opportunities to long distance shots that were comfortably saved by Craig Hill.

With United enjoying the slope in the second half, they dominated from start to finish. Goss tried his luck from distance in the opening minute, seeing his effort go wide before, three minutes later, Conway got down well to save another Goss effort. However, there was nothing he could do shortly afterwards when a free kick, 30 yards from goal, was swung over to the far post by West, where captain Ellis Hercules out-jumped his marker and powerfully headed the ball back across goal and in to the far corner.

By this stage United were in complete control, with the hosts unable to secure any meaningful possession and, after West shot over from 20 yards on 55 minutes, the lead was extended four minutes later. Goss did well to create space on the right where he delivered a cross in to the box for Mepham who, with the ball slightly behind him, swivelled and struck the ball powerfully in to the back of the net. Mepham then went close on 63 minutes to extending the lead before, on 77 minutes it was four. Jamie Essex, making his debut for the side having recently signed from Flackwell Heath, had only been the pitch for five minutes when Mepham crossed from the left and he beat his marker at the back post to head the ball in to the roof of the net.

As much as the home side sought to secure possession, United continually pressed and won the ball and, with a highly professional approach to game management, secured the ball and comfortably saw out the final ten minutes of the game.

The win extends the unbeaten league run to seven matches, with Chalfont St Peter the visitors to the ASM Stadium on Saturday.

United: Hill, Evans, Lynn, Hercules (Davis), McGowan, Morris, Connelly, Goss (Harrison), Strugess, West (Essex), Mepham.

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