It was game week 33 in the Pitching In Southern League Central Division One as Thame United travelled to Bedfordshire to take on Stotfold, this was the second meeting of the season, after the two sides met at The ASM Stadium in February in what turned out to be a very entertaining game for the neutral, with Stotfold taking a 4 - 0 lead in the first half only for Thame to fight back scoring two goals in the final two minutes of the game to draw 4 - 4. Manager Ben Williams made changes to the last starting line up with Ethan Lack and Josh Stranks coming into the starting line up replacing Brayden Daniel and Oscar Lucey who reverted to the bench.

Stotfold made the first foray into the Thame half but it leads to nothing, then won a free kick just out side the area, but the ball into the box is cleared. On 7 minutes Thame thought they had taken the lead, a ball into the box was met by Jack Tutton inside the six yard box, he out jumped the defender and headed the ball into the net, unbelievably, the ref blew for a foul on the defender, for impeding the defenders jump. He must have been the only person in the ground that saw it, replays showed it was a good goal, and there was no claims for a foul from the Stotfold team. At the other end Stopfold's big centre forward had a shot on target that bought out a good save from keeper Matty Crowther tipping the ball over the bar for a corner. The home side were causing problems using their height to to win first and second balls, with the first 30 minutes being a battle of the long ball, both teams struggling to keep the ball down. A great run Ethan Lack, set up Ty Deacon but his shot is saved, then Curtis Brown is played through but its a difficult chance and goes wide.

Slightly against the run of play Stotfold took the lead on 38 minutes, an attack on the left, saw the ball was cut back to the edge of the box, and picked up by the Stotfold number 7 who cut inside wrong footed the defender and shoots past keeper Crowther and into the net. Ty Deacon then had another chance after being played in my Mark Riddick, but his shot is saved. A few minutes later the Stotfold centre forward had picked up the ball out muscled the Thame defence but his shot is just wide of the post. Thame fought back and right on half time won a free kick about 40 yards out from the Stotfold goal in a central position. Up stepped centre back Leo Galpin, who’s shot took a deflection off of the wall and wrong footed the keeper who had stepped to his right for the ball to fly to the left of him. Thame pressed on from the kick off won the ball back and created another opening, a long ball into the box, is flicked on by Ty Deacon to Jack Tutton who controls the ball in front of the keeper and touches it into the net with the last kick of the half, to take the lead, the half time whistle blew directly from the quick off and on the balance of play Thame fortunate to be in the lead.

Both teams were getting increasingly frustrated by the officiating, with little consistency in some of the decisions made and the yellow card count was rising for both teams and the game was becoming broken up by the amount of needless free kicks being given.

The second half got under way with Stotfold stepping up the pressure going for the equaliser and with the opening 15 minutes being played in the Thame the goal, it was coming and on 60 minutes Stotfold, won a free kick on the left hand side, the ball is floated into the box, with Keeper Crowther coming out for the ball but was beaten to it by the centre back who heads it into the net. Thame made their first substitute with Brayden Daniel replacing Curtis Brown on the right wing. Oscar Lucey then replaced Lewis Thorne who was on a Yellow card and had had another firm talking to from the referee. The visitors were on the front foot looking for their third, on 62 minutes Thame win a free kick the ball was played into the box, but Fin Murray's header is saved by the keeper down to his right.

A few minutes later Greg Hackett picks up the ball on a counter attack, drives into the box and shoots but is saved by the keeper, with Brayden Daniel square and unmarked, possibly a better alternative. Thame won another free kick on 69 minutes in a central position, Leo Galpin steps up with a shot over the wall, but the keeper makes a great save to tip the ball onto the bar, the ball bounced back into the box but no Thame player could get onto the rebound. Ty Deacon then sets up another chance for Jack Tutton, controlling the ball with his chest in the area but the shot is saved. Jefferson Louis and Dan West replaced Ethan Lack and Jack Tutton, with Thame going two up front for the final 12 minutes. The Stotford Centre forward who had caused the Thame defence problems all afternoon with his height then saw a long range shot just over the top of the bar and although the home side were onto in the final few minutes were finding it difficult to get a shot on target. Rocko Tamplin was the final change for thame replacing Greg Hackett, with 5 minutes of added time it was the home side who had the final chance, with a break into the box and a shot fired just wide. Overall it was a disappointing display from Thame today who weren’t at the races especially defensively and a 2 - 2 draw was probably a fair result in the end.

Although a point takes Thame back into the play off spots above Hadley other results meant there is now a gap opening between fourth and fifth place. Next up is a trip to AFC Dunstable on Tuesday night to play the rearranged fixture which was postponed in February.

Goals
Leo Galpin 44 minutes
Jack Tutton 46 minutes

Starting Eleven

1.Matty Crowther
2.Lewis Thorn (Oscar Lucey 45 minutes)
3.Josh Stranks
4.Fin Murray
5.Leo Galpin
6.Mark Riddick
7.Greg Hackett (Rocko Tamplin 86 minutes)
8.Jack Tutton (Dan West 82 minutes)
9.Ty Deacon
10.Ethan Lack (Jefferson Louis 79 minutes)
11.Curtis Brown (Brayden Daniel 67 minutes)

Substitutes
12.Rocko Tamplin
14.Jefferson Louis
15.Oscar Lucey
16.Dan West
17.Brayden Daniel

Attendance 204