Thame United were back on the road in the Pitching in Southern League Division One Central, when they made their first ever visit to the Maccabi Sports Ground in Barnet to take on London Lions, in only the second ever encounter between the two teams. On a testing week with the heavy rain the game was one of the only game on grass to go ahead in division one this weekend. The London Lions came into the game after a 3 - 0 away victory at Aylesbury the previous weekend and after taking step three team Berkhamsted to penalties in midweek and going out of the Hertfordshire Charity Cup. Meanwhile Thame were looking to continue their unbeaten run which stretched to eight matches. Manager Ben Williams kept the same team that had fought out a hard earned draw against Barton Rovers in the last match with the bench unchanged.

Thame got the game underway kicking from left to right down a slight slope and with the wind behind them. It was a credit to the London Lions groundsman considering all the rain there had been the grass pitch was in a very good condition. London Lions had the first opportunity on 2 minutes with the number ten Davis, picking the ball up in midfield and shooting from out side the box but it was a comfortable save by keeper Matty Crowther, 3 minutes later the home sides number nine Appleton Fidler found himself on the edge of the box but his shot was straight at keeper Crowther and he made a comfortable save. Thame's first attempt came after 8 minutes, a ball into the box from Louis Walsh across the six yard box was cleared only as far as Curtis Brown on the edge of the area, his shot was saved by the keepers legs. Another attempt fell to the home side on 19 minutes a deep cross from the right hand side went across the face of the Thame goal, and the number nine Fidler coming in at the back post couldn't quite make contact.

Curtis Brown then had another chance after a poor clearance fell to him on the edge of the box, but his shot was wide of the mark, almost immediately Jack Tutton had another shot from the right corner of the box but his shot across the goal took a touch out for a corner. Curtis Brown was seeing a lot of the ball on the left wing and created another opportunity, receiving a ball from Dan West inside the left had side of the box, he cut inside and got his shot off but it was over the bar. Harry Alexander then had a chance after a cross field pass was picked up on the left, but his shot was just wide of the left hand post. Thame were now controlling the game and the home side were struggling to cope with the aggressive closing down and pressing. Eventually Thame took the lead on 34 minutes, and it was a well worked goal with Luke Tingey making a cross field pass to Jack Tutton in the centre circle, he laid the ball off to Louis Walsh on the left touchline, he drove towards the left goal line and into the box, and picked out Harry Alexander unmarked about ten yards out, he took a touch and fired it into the left hand side of the box.

The home sides keeper then made an excellent save from Jack Tutton, a corner came into the box was half cleared to Tutton about ten yards out his first time shot was pushed over the bar. From the resultant corner Thame had another attempt on goal, the ball headed up in the air and Captain Mark Riddick with an acrobatic left foot shot was saved by the keeper. As the half drew to an end Thame scored a second and no more than they deserved, a corner from the right was met by Dan West his stooping header was cleared to the left had side where Curits Brown picked up the a delivered an excellent cross which went over the head of Dan West but was met by Mark Riddick who's glancing header beat the keeper into the right hand side of the net. That was the last action of the half with the visitors going into the break with a deservedly 2 - 0 lead.

The second half got under way with Thame continuing to press and chase down the London Lions and it wasn't long before Thame scored their third on 50 minutes as they continued to put pressure on home side, Mark Riddick played a cross field ball to Curtis Brown it was intercepted by a defender but the ball fell to Jack Tutton who played Brown into the left hand side of the box, he beat a defender and laid the ball back to Louis Walsh on the edge of the box in a central position, he controlled the ball then shot into the left hand side of the goal, wrong footing the keeper in the process. The lions number 6 saw yellow on 52 minutes for pushing over Jack Tutton over after he had gone in for a tackle and was later on the home sides defender. Thame had a double opportunity on 59 minutes to score, a free kick from Jack Tutton from inside his own half was launched into the home sides box, Mark Riddick won the ball it bounced forward and fell to Dan West, his shot was well saved the ball came our and was played across field to Curtis Brown who picked up the ball beat a defender but his shot from the six yard line was straight at the keeper.

The home side had their first shot on target in the second half on 65 minutes the number eight Barnet picking up the ball in the central midfield in the Thame half, out muscling Jack Tutton and getting his shot away from the edge of the box, but it was well saved by Keeper Crowther. They pulled a goal back on 67 minutes and it was against the run of play, after winning a free kick in a central position about forty yards out, the number ten Davis stepped up and fired a shot past the two man wall and the keeper and into the left hand side of the net. Thame soon restored their three goal advantage on 73 minutes, Dan West picked the ball up from Callum Hall in midfield, played the ball to Jack Tutton in the centre circle, he played the ball through to Harry Alexander to run in between the to centre backs, he took a touch and place his shot from the edge of the area into the left hand side of the net.

The home side won a free kick in an almost identical position to the one which they scored from, this time the shot was blocked by the wall. Thame made a double substitution on 77 minutes with Dan West and Harry Alexander making way for Abu Khan and Charlie Stow. Luke Tingey then had a header over the bar from a Harry Alexander corner.There was a triple substitution on 82 minutes for Thame, with Leo Galpin, Adam Smith and Lance Williams coming on for Luke Tingey, Curtis Brown and Louis Walsh.
Adam Smith was played into the box, he picked up the ball turned and played the ball back to Lance Williams on the edge of the box his shot was well saved by the Lions keeper diving to his left to push the ball out for a corner. The visitors rounded off the scoring on 90 minutes yet another attack was cleared by the Lions defence but fell to Abu Khan on the right hand wing, he took the ball towards the goal line and crossed into the box, where Charlie Stow rose above the two centre backs to head the ball beyond the keeper at the near post. There was still time for Adam Smith and Lance Williams to add to the score line, with the keeper called into action yet again to make the saves. After four minutes of added time the final whistle went with the visitors in total control of the game and deservedly coming away with a 5 - 1 victory and in truth it could have been more but for a good performance from the hosts keeper.

Goals
Harry Alexander (34,73 minutes)
Mark Riddick (44 minutes)
Louis Walsh |(50 minutes)
Charlie Stow (90 minutes)

Starting Eleven

1 Matty Crowther
2 Callum Hall
3 Ethan Lack
4 Fin Murray
5 Luke Tingey (Leo Galpin 82 minutes)
6 Mark Riddick (C)
7 Jack Tutton
8 Curtis Brown (Adam Smith 82 minutes)
9 Louis Walsh (Lance Williams 82 minutes)
10 Dan West (Abu Khan 77 minutes)
11 Harry Alexander (Charlie Stow 77 minutes)

Substitutes

12 Leo Galpin
14 Adam Smith
15 Charlie Stow
16 Lance Williams
17 Abu Khan

Attendance 60