Thame United travelled to Bedfordshire on Saturday to take on Stotfold FC in the Pitching In Southern League Central Division One. When the two teams met earlier in the season at the ASM, Stotfold were sitting four places and three points above Thame in the table, The home side dominated possession but couldn't break down a stubborn Stotfold defence, but eventually came out on top thanks to an 100 minute winner from Louis Walsh. As the two teams went into Saturdays encounter Thame were now eight places and nineteen points above Stotfold just outside the place off spots on goal difference but do have a game in hand, while Stotfold are sitting in fourteenth place. Manager Ben Williams was able to keep the same team that had beaten Milton Keynes Irish the previous Saturday with just Charlie Stow missing from the bench after picking up an injury in the week.

The game turned out to be a tough battle, the strong wind not helping and constant long balls meant there was little creativity and at times turned into a bad tempered affair not helped buy a less than convincing referee performance whose level of consistency frustrated both teams and benches, with both Ben Williams and Ben Johnson picking up yellow cards. The game got under way with Thame kicking into the strong head wind, with Stotfold starting on the front foot with a series of long balls into the visitors half, and with only six minutes on the clock took the lead, after winning a free kick on the left hand side level with the 18 yard line. Abu Khan picked up an early yellow card after pulling back the Stotfold left winger as he got past him and was in a dangerous position.

From the free kick the ball was wiped into the box past the wall and ran past everyone and into the far side of the goal, a really soft opening goal to concede, Thame fought back and won a free kick just out side the area on 10 minutes, but Dan West’s free kick was straight into the Stotfold wall, moments later Thame won another free kick just out side the box in a central position as Jack Tutton was fouled. Tutton stepped up him self and bent a low right footed shot around the wall and the ball nestled into the right hand side of the goal beating the diving keeper. Thame made a substitute on 22 minutes with Curtis Brown replacing Abu Khan at right back, who after picking up an early yellow card was in danger of picking up another up against a tricky winger. Ethan Lack picked up a yellow card midway through the first half after a coming together in the middle of the pitch, Thame were forced to make their second substitution after a nasty clash of heads forced centre back Fin Murray to leave the field. And quite frankly that was about the sum of the first half action, with the ball spending a large amount of time in the air and lots of fouls breaking up any rhythm, with Thame not being able to play their natural style of play.

The second half got under way with Thame looking to force the early advantage, Jack Tutton had a long range shot saved by the keeper after a clearance fell to him, moments later Thame took the lead, a great run on the left hand side by Brayden Daniel got past the right back took the ball to the by line and crossed it, with Harry Alexander getting in front of the left back meeting the ball at the far post, with his shot beating the keeper at the near post, who got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep the ball out. Then a moment of real controversy Brayden Daniel broke on the left hand side outpacing the Stotfold defence and as he approached the area he was brought down, it was pretty clear to everyone on the pitch the the foul took place in the area except for the Referee and the lines man who was directly in line with it. Instead the referee gave a free kick about a metre outside the area know where near where the incident took place. Jack Tutton stepped up but his shoot was saved by the home keeper. The home side should have been level on 61 minutes after a break on the left hand side the ball was crossed into the box, with keeper Crowther getting a foot to the ball only to push it out to a stotfold player but his shot was over the bar. Thame brought on Lance Williams and Greg Hackett to replace Louis Walsh and Ethan Lack, with 10 minutes to go, but there was little goal mouth action and Thame comfortably saw out the 4 minutes of added time to come away with a hard fought victory on the road and take away another 3 points

Goals

Jack Tutton (12 minutes)
Harry Alexander (57minutes)

Starting Eleven

1 Matty Crowther
2 Callum Hall
3 Abu Khan (Curtis Brown 22 minutes)
4 Fin Murray (Luke Tingey 48 minutes)
5 Ethan Lack (Greg Hackett 78 minutes)
6 Mark Riddick (C)
7 Brayden Daniel
8 Jack Tutton
9 Louis Walsh (Lance Williams 78 minutes)
10 Dan West
11 Harry Alexander

Substitutes

12 Lance Williams
14 Curtis Brown
16 Greg Hackett
18 Luke Tingey

Attendance 132