Thame United were back in action with their third away trip in seven days when they travelled Alfred Davis Ground to take on Marlow in the Pitching in Southern League Division One Central. This was the return match after Thame comfortably beat Marlow back in October the two teams met on a Tuesday night at The ASM Stadium with Thame coming out on top 4 - 0, but since then Marlow have made a number of changes in the squad and their league form has improved and victory of Thame would take them level on points. Manager Ben Williams welcomed back Abu Khan and Greg Hackett to the bench, but after the impressive away victory on Monday night against kept to the same starting eleven.

Thame playing in their traditional Red and Black kits got the game underway kicking from right to left on a very heavy pitch with the Sun behind them in the first half, with Marlow playing in all Blue. It was Marlow who had the first opening with the home side picking the ball up after a Thame clearance and some neat play finding the number 12 in a one on one but his shot went just wide of the post. But it was the visitors that opened the scoring on 12 minutes, after a Marlow attack broke down in the Thame box Harry Alexander picked up the ball and launched a long ball into the Marlow half for Lance Williams to run onto, up against two defenders, the keeper came running out to clear the ball and completely missed it leaving Williams in front of the defenders and with an open goal in front of him he slotted a first time shot from 30 yards into the back of the net. The visitors were making inroads into the Marlow penalty area but without being able to find a meaningful shot on target, but it was forcing Marlow to play on the counter attack.

Marlow had their first shot on target on 21 minutes after winning a throw on the right hand side the ball was played to the number 10 who took ball to the edge of the area and tried to curl a left foot shot into the goal but it was a comfortable save for keeper Pettitt. Moments later Thame broke into the box and a ball across the goal found Louis Walsh in the six yard box, but couldn't get his shot away and it went out for a goal kick. At the other end Marlow won a free kick just outside the area, on the right hand side, but the ball was struck high over the bar. From the goal kick the ball was played back into the Thame half with Marlow threatening a dangerous attack but Captain Mark Riddick picked up a yellow card for bringing the advancing player down, the resulting free kick was wasted going out for a goal kick. After a Thame attack broke down the home side broke with pace and the ball reached the number 11 who picked up the ball on the edge of the box, cut in onto his left foot but the shoot was just wide of the left post. Then on 37 minutes a moment of magic from Louis Walsh who received the ball in midfield then played a slide rule pass in between the full back and centre back for Harry Alexander to run onto then from a tight angle slotted the ball past the keeper and into the net. With the clock ticking down Marlow won a free kick on the left the ball was floated into the box and the Thame defence struggled to clear it it bobbled about in a dangerous position before finally being cleared. But the clearance came straight back and it was the Thame defence were penalised giving the home side another free kick on the edge of the area, the number 10 stepped up and his left footed shot beat the wall but was saved by keeper Pettitt. There was a moment of controversy as one of the Marlow players who followed through appeared to have kicked the keeper in the stomach, There was a bit of hand bags between the two sets of players, when the referee finally sorted it out he booked the Marlow number 11. That was the last action of the first half with the visitors in a comfortable lead.

Marlow got the second half under way, and almost immediately Thame had to make their first substitute on 46 minutes with Jack Tutton being replaced by Abu Khan after picking up a knock in a challenge, with Curtis Brown switching to right wing and Harry Alexander moving into the number 10 role. The opening ten minutes were a scrappy affair with neither team settling, and zero chances created. The only notable event was a nasty looking challenged on Dan West in the Thame box with the home sides number 10 who looked to have left his foot in on the Thame centre back, but much to the visitors annoyance the referee just gave a drop ball to Thame with no free kick, which looked like a really strange decision, moments later another Marlow player went into the book for pulling back Ethan Lack.

Then out of know where Marlow pulled a goal back, a long hopefully ball was played into the right hand side of the Thame box, with the number 10 chasing after, keeper Pettitt decided to come for the ball, but missed it and took the Marlow player down. He stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way, pulling a goal back on 60 minutes. Then more controversy ensured after Marlow won a free kick on the left hand side the ball was delivered into the box with a header on target but with no power and safely saved by keeper Pettitt, he gather the ball and sent a long throw for Curtis Brown to run onto he picked the ball up in the Marlow half, as he attempted to run with the ball he was cynically bought down from behind by the Marlow number 10, the Thame player got up and pushed the Marlow player in the chest, with the player going down holding his face.

This resulted in nearly of the of the players getting involved in a confrontation with lots of pushing and shoving in front of the Marlow bench with the officials struggling to gain control. After about 2 minutes yellow cards were shown to Curtis Brown and the Marlow goalscorer, who was incredibly fortunate to stay on the pitch after not picking up a yellow for an earlier bad tackle. Luke Tingey replaced Curtis Brown on 70 minutes going into the centre back position with Dan West moving further forward, and was unlucky with a header from a Louis Walsh corner going over the bar. Charlie Stow made an appearance on 75 minutes with a straight swap for goal scorer Lance Williams. The visitors were beginning to sit deep soaking up a lot of pressure as Marlow looked for the equaliser, but defensively were playing well and made their final substitution with 5 minutes to go, Luca Perrin replacing Louis Walsh, with the centre back playing in an uncustomary position in the front line. The home side continued to have the lions share of possession but in truth in the final twenty minutes had one shot on target, one over the bar and one deflected wide, with keeper Pettitt having little to do apart from punching a cross away and catching a corner. After seven minutes of added time the referee blew for full time and Thame had won their second away game in a week and it was well deserved, and after picking up seven away points in seven days move up to ninth in the table on thirty five points only seven off of the play off places with games in hand.

Goals

Lance Williams (12 minutes)
Harry Alexander (37 minutes)

Starting Eleven

1 Jonny Pettitt
2 Callum Hall
3 Curtis Brown (Luke Tingey 70 minutes)
4 Fin Murray
5 Ethan Lack
6 Mark Riddick
7 Louis Walsh (Luca Perrin 86 minutes)
8 Jack Tutton (Abu Khan 46 minutes)
9 Lance Williams (Charlie Stow 75 minutes)
10 Dan West
11 Harry Alexander

Substitutes

12 Charlie Stow
14 Greg Hackett
15 Luca Perrin
16 Abu Khan
10 Luke Tingey

Attendance 150