Author: Sonja Francis

KIDS from Thame Swimming club took part in a mammoth swimming challenge on Sunday evening, 27th March, expecting to raise

LEAGUE GAME: 02/04/11 – Ascot United 2, Thame United 0-MATCH REPORT (Contributed)

THAME UNITED failed to score for the first time in eight games on Saturday (02/04) at Ascot, where they were defeated 2-0. Both teams had played twice in midweek and as a result looked weary.

The opening exchanges saw fairly even possession with neither team creating chances but then on 15 minutes Thame keeper Lee Orkney was forced to make an outstanding close range save by deflecting the ball onto the crossbar. Possession was even, but it was the home team who were creating the chances, forcing Orkney into action, and twice hitting the woodwork. Thame however struggled to find away through to goal, and went in for the break having not really tested the home keeper.

The second half continued in the same vein. Thame?s best chance fell to James Faulkner, on 60 minutes but his shot was scuffed and the home keeper saved comfortably. Ascot took the lead in the 64th minute when a free kick was met with a strong header onto the crossbar but the ball came out to Ollie Lambert who headed in from close range. Ascot?s second came seven minutes later via a set piece. A corner on the right was played back to defender Rob Gier who hit a superb 30-yard screamer into the top left, giving Orkney no chance.

Thame?s Conor Hayes was shown a yellow card for what looked like a fair tackle, after which manager Mark West became increasingly vocal in his criticism of the referees decisions, many of which were highly questionable. With about 15 minutes remaining, West was dismissed from the technical area and watched the remainder of the game from the touchline. It was from there that he saw Thame?s only other chance, when Nik Rhodes headed a Luke Ricketts corner just over the bar.

Thame United: Orkney, Meredith, Pykett, Saulsbury, N. Rhodes, Hayes, Barr, Rogers, Faulkner, Ricketts.

There is a double bill at the ASM Stadium next Saturday 9th. The reserves kick off at 12.00 against Newbury reserves, whilst the first team face Fairford Town at 3.00.

OXFORDSHIRE Senior Cup Semi Final – Saturday, April 2; GROVE 0 Vs CHINNOR 73. MATCH REPORT (Contributed)

IN a somewhat one-sided match, Chinnor overcame plucky Grove 73-0 to ease their way into the final of the Oxfordshire Cup.

Chinnor, with respect to their hosts who play some two divisions below, selected a full strength squad. The first of Chinnor’s 13 tries came when Sam Angell stole the ball at a ruck to allow Mark Chase to weave his way to the line and slip Mowbray in for the touchdown. Chase was the next to score for Chinnor after receiving a wide miss pass after good approach work from the forwards. Chinnor continued scrum pressure on the home side and Prescott, in the speed of a blink, tapped a penalty from a scrum offence and dotted down in the corner for Chinnor’s third try.

Grove competed admirably but the tightly organised Chinnor defence suffocated any chance of a Grove attack starting. James Serrano was next on the score sheet for Chinnor when a Grove kick was fielded and quickly worked to Serrano who bashed over for try number four. A Grove indiscretion at a ruck resulted in Chinnor fly half Cathcart kicking for touch. From the resultant lineout, Chinnor patiently drove over for a try with Hastings touching down. Shortly afterwards, from another lineout, Chinnor worked the ball quickly across the field to left wing Williams who trotted over in the corner for try number six. From the restart, Chinnor worked the ball into the Grove 22 and set up a rolling maul which allowed Hastings to bag his second try of the day. This resulted in Cathcart’s first conversion of the afternoon to bring the score to 37-0 in favour of the visitors.

Grove attempted to pierce the Chinnor defensive line with a grubber kick. Chinnor scrum-half Prescott, sweeping behind the line, smoothly collected the ball and scooted off down the tramlines for his second try of the day, Cathcart again converting. At 44-0, the whistle blew for half time.

Chinnor used the half-time break to make replacements. Harry Jackman, Joe Winpenny and Nick Harrison made way for Ian Stock in the front row, Ed Vickers and Alex Fan in the back row.

Fan was soon in the action when, seizing a dropped ball, sprinted 40m to the Grove touchline for a try. Cathcart converted to bring the score to 51-0 to the visitors from Thame. Another patiently executed rolling maul from the visitors saw Stock touchdown for a try, again converted by Cathcart to bring the score to 58-0. More pressure from the forwards allowed Chase to dance his way to the Grove line for try number 11. The best of Chinnor?s tries of the day came next as a complicated inter-passing run down the blindside involving six different players allowed Prescott his hat-trick try. Williams completed the scoring by touching down for Chinnor’s final try of the day, making the final score 73-0 to Chinnor.

Scorers:

Chinnor: Prescott 3T; Chase 2T; Hastings 2T; Williams 2T; Mowbray T; Serrano T; Fan T; Stock T; Cathcart 4C

Chinnor team: Chase, Serrano (Green 25), Morgan, Angell, Williams, Cathcart (Goode 70), Prescott, Winpenny (Stock 40), Cawston, Pickett, Jackman (Vickers 40), Smith, Hastings, Harrison (Fan 40), Mowbray

Replacements: Stock, Fan, Vickers, Goode, Green

LEAGUE MATCH – 31/03/11 – Thame United 1, Highworth Town 1- MATCH REPORT

IN a repeat of the score line when these teams last met in October, Thame United drew 1-1 with Wiltshire based Highworth Town on Thursday evening at the ASM Stadium. It was a fast flowing, entertaining game which neither team deserved to lose.

The first half was saw chances at both ends with Thame?s James Faulkner placing a shot just wide after a few minutes and home keeper Milan Barisic producing two good saves as the half progressed. The stalemate was broken 2 minutes before the break. Mitchell Meredith?s throw in on the right was played to Alex Stewart who intelligently knocked the ball into the path of Faulkner, giving him the time to pick his spot and finish confidently from 15-yards.

The second half was just as lively but went through a bad tempered phase resulting in one Highworth, and two Thame bookings. As full time approached the visitors intensified their pressure on the Thame goal but Barisic was in good form, and made some first class saves. With 2 minutes to play however visiting substitute Richie Saunders tried a speculative, but well-placed shot from 30-yards. Barisic must have been unsighted as he seemed to dive late and the ball beat him to finish low into the left corner.

The game ended on a sour note. Immediately after the final whistle Faulkner was shown a straight red card. It seems he told the referee that he had had a poor game; but perhaps not quite in those words.

Thame United: Barisic, Meredith, P Pykett, N Rhodes, Saulsbury, Hayes, Connelly (Barr), Rogers (Braun), Stewart, Faulkner, Ricketts.

THAME United returned from Shrivenham on Tuesday evening, March 29, content with a point after both a difficult playing surface combined with injuries in the first half to the centre back pairing of Martin Brown and Nik Rhodes, and a major re-shuffle meant that Thame were unable to fully adopt their normal playing style.

Although United benefitted from the pronounced slope on the pitch in the first half, Shrivenham went closest to opening the scoring when, after only four minutes, a cut back from the bye-line was met by the Shrivenham striker whose close range effort could only find the side netting. Thame then had a great chance to take the lead five minutes later when man of the match Alex Stewart did well to cross from the left and James Faulkner?s powerful header from close range was well saved by the home keeper. Nik Rhodes was then replaced at the back by Mitchell Meredith after being injured and, shortly afterwards Shrivenham took the lead. A corner from the left was swung over and Roper had a clear header from only six yards and finished well.

The lead, however, lasted only five minutes as United equalised with the move of the match. Some quick interplay down the Thame left resulted in Alex Stewart putting Stuart Barr through. His low driven cross was met eight yards from goal by Faulkner, who swivelled and hit a first time shot beyond the keeper. Shortly afterwards it was the turn of captain Martin Brown to go off with an injury, and the re-shuffle saw Faulkner play the centre back role, with Stuart Braun coming in to midfield and Aaron Rogers joining Alex Stewart up front.

The second half lacked the intensity of the first half with much of the play condensed in the middle of the field. Neither side threatened to score and, whilst Shrivenham had a couple of opportunities that failed to hit the target, Thame created the best openings. Stewart, who was on the end of some physical defending from the Shrivenham back four, was instrumental in most of these, with the best opportunity arriving after 75 minutes when he beat four defenders in a run from the half way line only to see his effort from an acute angle go in to the side netting. It was as close as either side got and with the referee bringing the game to a close after only 89 minutes, Thame were happy to come away with a point and concentrate on a busy schedule of games over the coming weeks.

SCORE: Thame Utd 1, Shrivenham 1

Thame United: Barisic, Newell, Pykett, Rhodes (Meredith), Brown (Braun), Hayes, Connelly, Rogers, Stewart, Faulkner, Barr.