4 goals, 3 points, clean sheet, Another win for Thame United

18th December 2024

Thame United were back in action under the lights in the Pitching In Southern League Central Division One, with the visit of Leverstock Green to The ASM Stadium for the teams' first-ever competitive meeting. Manager Ben Williams welcomed back Tom McElroy and Curtis Brown to the matchday squad, and there were a couple of changes to the starting eleven from the defeat at Barton Rovers. Leo Galpin replaced Oscar Lucey, who dropped to the bench, and Brayden Daniel came in for Ollie Hogg.

Thame were kicking from left to right in the first half and started the game brightly, with Brayden Daniel almost opening the scoring within a minute. Played through for a one-on-one with the keeper, his shot was well saved. Thame earned a couple of corners in the opening minutes and dominated the early exchanges, winning first and second balls in midfield and pinning Leverstock back in their own half. The visitors were reliant on long balls to gain territory. Jefferson Louis, in the number 9 position, was holding the ball up well, causing the centre-backs significant trouble, and had an early shot tipped around the post. However, despite controlling possession, Thame struggled to land a knockout punch. The final ball in the attacking third often went astray, and in the opening 30 minutes, they managed only a couple of shots from Greg Hackett and Harry Alexander, both of which went wide.

The game changed on 33 minutes. The home side's hard work in the press paid off as Leverstock lost the ball in their own half. Dan West picked it up, drove at the back line, and played a one-two with Brayden Daniel. Daniel's return pass was met by West, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner. The visitors responded well and almost leveled straight from the kick-off. A shot on goal was saved by keeper Matty Crowther, and after a scramble, another effort seemed destined to go in until Josh Stranks somehow recovered to clear the ball off the line. Within minutes of that scare, Thame doubled their lead. A through ball found Brayden Daniel, who calmly slotted home. Leverstock were stunned and, three minutes later, conceded again. This time, a corner from Greg Hackett was met by Dan West, who headed home his second and Thame’s third. The halftime whistle blew with Thame 3-0 up and in control of the game.

The second half got underway, and within a couple of minutes, it was 4-0. Brayden Daniel latched onto a through ball and finished past the keeper. It should have been 5 moments later when Harry Alexander's long-range shot beat the keeper but rebounded off the crossbar. There was then a ten-minute spell where the visitors came back into the game and put Thame under pressure, though without really troubling the keeper. On 63 minutes, there was a triple substitution for Thame, with Daniel, West, and Louis being replaced by Curtis Brown, Hayden Beadle, and Tom McElroy. The changes put Thame back on the front foot, but they were guilty of overplaying in the final third. Despite dominant play, they couldn't find the finish, with Brown, Alexander, Hackett, and McElroy all going close. Oscar Lucey replaced Leo Galpin after 75 minutes, giving Galpin more minutes as he returns to full match fitness.

As the match drew to a close, the only question was whether Thame would score more. Leverstock were now playing deep and couldn't stop the constant attacks from the home side, but Thame couldn’t capitalize. After four minutes of added time, the final whistle blew, sealing a comfortable 4-0 win for the home side. Man of the Match went to Jack Tutton, who had a very strong game in midfield, winning first and second balls and controlling the area.

Next up for the Red Kites is their final game before Christmas: a home match against Leighton Town on December 21st, with kickoff at 3:00 PM at The ASM Stadium.