Thame United were on the road on Good Friday to start their Easter campaign when they travelled to play Northwood FC in the Pitching In Southern League Central Division One, the two teams met back in December at the ASM Stadium in a remarkable match that saw nine goals scored. It was a game that would have implications on both ends of the table, a win for Thame would keep them in the play off spots while Northwood had to win otherwise they would be all but mathematically relegated to Step 5. The host’s confidence was up as they came into the game on the back of win and a draw in their last two games, while Thame were on an eight match unbeaten run and had only lost twice in the last twenty matches since playing Northwood last. Manager Ben Williams made a couple of changes to the team that drew against Ware last Saturday, one enforced as keeper Matty Crowther had picked up an injury and was replaced in goal by Archie Davis, Greg Hackett made his first start since December replacing Brayden Daniel who moved to the bench.

Northwood got the game underway kicking from right to left up hill and into a strong wind, and started strongly taking the game to the visitors and had the first attempt on target in the fourth minute with a long range shot that was comfortably saved by keeper Davis, there was another attempt moments later from a free kick just outside the area after Harry Alexander gave a foul away, but the shot was hight over the bar. The first 15 minutes was littered with free kicks with both sides being physical in pursuit of the ball, the most surprising thing was that the referee kept his cards in his pocket. Thames first attempt came on 16 minutes when Greg Hackett was played in down the left had side, one on one with the full back, he cut in onto his right foot but his shot was straight at the keeper.

Thame were starting to impose them selves on the game and the home sides early pressure had been nullified, the visitors took the lead on 19 minutes, when Harry Alexander took a short corner, received the ball back ran into the box and his goal bound shot took a deflection sending the ball into the air towards the keeper and Dan West was alert to run in and head the ball past the advancing keeper into the net. The game started to become really scrappy the foul count continued to rise and bizarrely on two occasions it looked like the home side had contrived to initiate time outs, with players going down and the whole team going to the side line to have a tactical debrief, there was little more action in the rest of the half, Jack Tutton had a long range shot wide and Dan West brought out a good save with a headed attempt from a Jack Tutton free kick. The Northwood threats were coming from long throws and their two wide men but the Thame defence were doing a good job to snuff out anything that threatened the Thame goal. The first half ended with the visitors one nil to the good, with the home side struggling to create any chances, with keeper Davis only having to make one save.

Thame were out early for the second half and started it in a much more determined mood, hunting the ball down and should have had a second on 50 minutes Louis Walsh playing Harry Alexander in with a pass between the two centre backs, but Alexander shot from inside the box was just wide of the right hand post with just the keeper to beat. Thame were dominating the ball with the home side playing on the counter attack but had no threat in the final third. The visitors were winning lots of free kicks in the Northwood half but had failed to land a killer blow. Mark Riddick header from a Jack Tutton free kick was straight at the keeper on 67 minutes, Then on 71 minutes Thame’s constant pressure finally paid off when Northwood lost the ball in their own half and it fell to Jack Tutton, who ran at the Northwood back line taking it past one of the centre back's into the box and dinked the ball over the advancing keeper to make it 2 - 0, an excellent run and finish from the number 8.

There was a double substitute on 78 minutes with Lance Williams and Abu Khan replacing Louis Walsh and Jack Tutton. Thame wrapped up the game on 85 minutes a ball into the Northwood box was headed out and fell to Brayden Daniel on the edge of the area, he bought the ball down cut in and fired a low left foot shot past the keeper into the right hand side of the goal, with the keeper well beaten. Straight from the kick off the Northwood’s number seven was shown a yellow card for a foul in the Thame left back area and after remonstrating with the referee, he produced another yellow and sent the player off to cap off a bad day for the home side. Finley Murray replaced Harry Alexander in the 87 minute, his first game time since he picked up concussion against Stotfold. Thame continued to press in the closing minutes Abu Khan who had come on for Jack Tutton had two chances each time shooting straight at the keeper. Thame saw out the final few minutes for a comfortable victory. It was a good all round performance from the visitors who were solid at the back with, Curtis Brown, Dan West, Luke Tingey and Callum Hall cancelling out any threat from the home side. And the midfield three of Mark Riddick, Jack Tutton and Ethan Lack hunting the ball down and not allowing the opposition to settle.

Defeat for the home side now sees them almost certainly relegated to step five with an unlikely set of results needed to stay up, meanwhile Thame move six points clear of Hertford in sixth place, the victory also means Thame have surpassed their total points tally for last season with four games still to play. Next up is a really important home game against Aylesbury United to come on Bank Holiday Monday at the ASM.

Goals
Dan West (19 minutes)
Jack Tutton (71 minutes)
Brayden Daniel (85 minutes)

Starting Eleven

1 Archie Davis
2 Callum Hall
3 Curtis Brown
4 Ethan Lack
5 Luke Tingey
6 Mark Riddick (C)
7 Greg Hackett (Brayden Daniels 64 minutes)
8 Jack Tutton (Abu Khan 78 minutes)
9 Louis Walsh (Lance Williams 78 minutes)
10 Dan West
11 Harry Alexander (Fin Murray 87 minutes)

Substitutes

12 Lance Williams
14 Abu Khan
15 Greg Hackett
16 Fin Murray

Attendance 134