It was the proverbial game of two halves on Saturday as Thame United were in Pitching in Southern League Division One Central action as they made their longest away journey of the season to Woodside Park to face an inform Ware FC who currently sit in sixth place one place off of the play off spots. After last Saturdays 6 -3 victory over Northwood, Manager Ben Williams made one change to the starting line up with Luke Tingey fully recovered from injury coming into the back four, with Ethan Lack moving to the bench. Thame got the game underway kicking from left to right on the 3G at Woodside Park, with blue Skys and no wind it was a perfect afternoon for football.

The opening ten minutes saw the visitors in control of the game, pressing the home side back with some nice play in and around the Ware box, and nearly opened the scoring on 10 minutes, a good cross from Harry Alexander from the right hand side was met by captain Mark Riddick who’s header was saved by the Ware keeper. Against the run of play on 11 minutes Ware took the lead, a cross field ball found the Ware winger in a one on one with the Thame right back, who brought him down in the box. The spot kick was converted by the number 9 and the home sides leading scorer, sending keeper Pettitt the wrong way. The visitors looked somewhat shaken after making a bright start and hadn’t composed themselves when Ware struck again on 15 minutes with the number 10 picking up the ball in the Thame half and managed to evade several tackles before rounding the keeper and slotting the ball into an empty net. Ware nearly had a third moments later, but a last ditch saving tackle from Fin Murray took the ball away from the Ware forward who was in on goal, at the other end a free kick from Jack Tutton was headed over by Dan West.

The visitors first half went from bad to worse with Greg Hackett forced off with an injury on 30 minutes and Fin Murray picked up a yellow card for a mis-timed tackle, Lance Williams, replaced Greg Hackett and went into the centre forward position with Louis Walsh switching to left wing. Despite being two goals down the visitors were playing the better football, moving the ball around neatly in midfield, with Jack Tutton at the centre of most of the visitors good work and both fullbacks Callum Hall and Curtis Brown were overlapping causing problems for the home sides defence. With the clock ticking towards half time Thame got themselves back into the game, the pressure in the last ten minutes paid off when Harry Alexander picked up the ball in the right side of the penalty area and from a layoff from Mark Riddick and managed to thread a pin point shot through a number of defenders into the far corner of the goal, with the keeper only managing to watch it roll into the goal. The half ended with the home side 2 -1 infront but the late goal for Thame gave them something to fight for going into the second half.

The second half got underway and almost immediately Thame were nearly level a cross from the right found Lance Williams in the box but his header was straight at the keeper who saved, a few minutes later an almost identical cross from Harry Alexander found Dan West but his header was saved again by the keeper. Thame were in the ascendancy and were dominating play with the home side struggling to get out of their own half, with the back four of Hall, Murray Tingey and Brown, giving the opposition no no time on the ball and dealing with any threats quite comfortably. Although Ware’s best chance of the second half came on 64 minutes, after a corner was knocked back across goal and the ball found its way to a Ware attacker on the six yard box, his shot looked goal bound but was cleared off the line by Luke Tingey, apart from that and a shot from out side the area that ran through to keeper Pettitt who made an easy safe they were the only two chances Ware had on the Thame goal in the second half. Meanwhile all of the action was at the other end as Thame battered the Ware goal. Fin Murray made way for Ethan Lack on 64 minutes with Dan West switching into the back four, On 65 minutes Harry Alexander had a left footed shot from the edge of the area, superbly tipped over by the Ware keeper, from the resulting corner the keeper managed to push the ball out and it was cleared.

On 69 minutes another good Thame move saw the ball played from the left hand side into the six yard box where Harry Alexander was running in and his goal bound shot was blocked by a combination of the left full back and keeper, with the ball going out for another corner. Thame made their third substitute on 71 minutes with Abu Khan replacing Curtis Brown at right full back. Thame continued to press forward looking for the equaliser, Captain Mark Riddick had a header cleared off of the line on 74 minutes after a cross from the left, with the keeper beaten, shortly after he was replaced by Charlie Stow.

A minute later Thame won a corner from the right hand side the cross came in and was met by Luke Tingey whose header had beaten the keeper but rebounded off of the crossbar. More shots came in firstly Jack Tutton from the edge of the box was saved by the keeper then Harry Alexander from a similar position was also saved. The corner count was rising and yet another from the right hand side was pushed out by the keeper and fell to Ethan Lack on the penalty spot but his first time effort was just over the bar. The visitors finally had their equaliser on 85 minutes, a long throw form the left from Callum Hall was flicked on by Lance Williams and Harry Alexander was first to react to the ball as it dropped into the six yard box and he smashed it into the roof of the net, fully deserved on the visitors second half performance. But Thame sensed a winner and continued to push forward with shots from Jack Tutton and Louis Walsh saved and with four minutes of added time there was one more chance, Charlie Stow picked up the ball on the right wing and delivered a cross into the box which was met by an unmarked Louis Walsh but he couldn't get high enough to direct the ball down and his header was just over the bar.

The final whistle went with the points shared but on the second half performance Thame deserved the three points with the amount of chances created. But for an outstanding performance from the Ware keeper with some excellent saves it could have been a different score line. Before the game a point would have been a good result but the visitors will be disappointed they didn't take all three, but a positive performance to take into Monday nights game at Bedford face Biggleswade FC in a re-arranged match.

Goals

Harry Alexander (44 & 85 minutes)

Starting Eleven

1 Jonny Pettitt
2 Callum Hall
3 Curtis Brown (Abu Khan 71 minutes)
4 Fin Murray (Ethan Lack 64 minutes)
5 Luke Tingey
6 Mark Riddick (Captain) (Charlie Stow 74 minutes)
7 Greg Hackett (Lance Williams 39 minutes)
8 Jack Tutton
9 Louis Walsh
10 Dan West
11 Harry Alexander

Substitutes

12 Lance Williams
14 Abu Khan
15 Ethan Lack
16 Charlie Stow