Thame United were back on their travels for a Tuesday night under the lights at Wilkes Park to play Flackwell Heath in the Pitching In Southern League Division One Central, with this being one of the shortest trips of the season. The two sides have only met twice before with Flackwell winning both games last season. After the excellent away win at Biggleswade Town on Saturday, manager Ben Williams made one change to the starting line up with Jenson Wright replacing Harry Alexander. With Flackwell playing in red, Thame were forced to play in their blue and white kit.

Flackwell got the game underway kicking from right to left in the first half, it was a cagey first opening few minutes but it was the home side that had the first chance on 3 minutes, a break down the left hand side was eventually crossed into the boxed and met by the Flackwell number nine but his header was straight up in the air and landed on the roof of the goal. Shortly after Curtis Brown picked up the ball in the middle of the park between the two centre back but failed to control it, otherwise he would have been in on goal, the ball was cleared and was crossed back in but missed everyone and went out for a goal kick. At the other end the Flackwell number ten nearly managed to get onto a through ball on the edge of the box, but the ball was intercepted and played back to keeper Davis. The visitors took the lead on 12 minutes, Callum Hall won the ball on the left hand side just in side the Flackwell half , played it to Greg Hackett who in turn played in Mark Riddick who had overlapped his cross was easily caught by the keeper, who then made a wayward throw out for Abu Khan to pick up on the right, he played in Jenson Wright who took the ball to the edge of the box and crossed the ball into the six yard box, somehow the keeper dived under the ball and it reached Dan West who had an easy tap in to take the lead,

Some neat interchanging with the Flackwell front two saw the number 8 pick the ball up just outside the area run in on goal on the right had side but his shot was wide of the right post.Shot It was 2 - 0 on 29 minutes Dan West won the ball in the middle of his own half and played a diagonal pass out to Greg Hackett on the left wing, the Flackwell fullback dived into intercept the ball but missed and Hackett was in on goal, he ran towards the 18 yard area drew the centre back across and played a precise pass into Curtis Brown who was running into the box in the centre of goal completely unmarked as the ball came across he sided footed into the left hand side of the goal sending the keeper the wrong way.

There was another chance for the home side on 36 minutes, a long ball into the Thame box should have been easily cleared with no threat however the pass out was intercepted by the Flackwell number 7 who’s first tome shot from 30 yards was saved by keeper Davis. There was one final chance for Thame in the half, Abu Khan winning a free kick just inside the Flackwell half on the right hand side, he took the kick and launched the ball into the box, it was headed out and the ball came back in and fell to Jenson Wright who let fly with a right footed shot from the 18 yard line, but it was saved by the keeper diving to his left. With a minute of added time that was the end of the first half action, with the visitors looking fairly comfortable and Flackwell struggling to really threaten the Thame goal, although they had plenty of the ball in their own half and the middle third of the pitch. Thame made their first substitution on 64 minutes with Ethan Lack replacing Dan West who had put in a great shift.

Thame got the second half underway, but it was Flackwell who had the first chance a couple of minutes in, from a long throw deep in the Thame half on the left, the ball was floated into the box and the right winger got across the Thame left back on the six yard line, but his shot was wide of the goal to the left. Thame should have put the game to bed on 66 minutes with Jenson Wright disposing a Flackwell defender and in on goal with only the keeper to beat his shot was saved. Then the visitors were very close to going further in front on 71 minutes a long kick from keeper Davis was head back to Jenson Wright who’s shot from the edge of the area just shaved the left hand post with the keeper beaten. Lance Williams replaced Curtis Brown on 75 minutes and Greg Hackett who was on a yellow card made way for Harry Alexander on 80 minutes. The visitors were playing on the counter attack and as the home side pushed forward were leaving plenty of space behind the back line, and another chance fell to Captain Mark Riddick with a break on the right the ball being crossed into the box, and Riddick narrowly failing to get a toe on the ball to put it across the line and the keeper gathered the ball.

The home sides number 14 had looked quite bright since coming on at half time had a chance on 80 minutes as he picked up the ball on the right drove at the Thame defence down the middle but his shot was deflected and took the pace off the ball with Keeper Davis gathering the ball. Another free kick from the home side was played into box, there was a bout of head tennis before the ball was headed in on goal, keeper Davis went to claim and was bundled over and awarded a free kick. The visitors pressure finally paid off with two minutes to go another long ball in to the box from the right was met by the substitute number 14 who headed it back across goal, with keeper only managing to get a had to hit and divert the ball past one of the defenders on the line. The visitors continued to pile the pressure on launching a series of long balls and throw ins into the box and winning a number of corners but the Thame defence defended the final few minutes resolutely and managed to see see the game out coming away with the three points and another impressive hardworking victory on the road.

Goals
Dan West (12 minutes)
Curtis Brown (Curtis Brown 29 minutes)

Starting Eleven

1 Archie Davis
2 Abu Khan
3 Callum Hall
4 Fin Murray
5 Luke Tingey
6 Mark Riddick (Captain)
7 Greg Hackett (Harry Alexander 80 minutes)
8 Jack Tutton
9 Curtis Brown (Lance Williams 75 minutes)
10 Dan West (Ethan Lack 64 minutes)
11 Jenson Wright

Substitutes

12 Harry Alexander
14 Tyrae Njogu
15 Louis Walsh
16 Ethan Lack
17 Lance Williams

Attendance 151