A below par Thame United performance ends in defeat to the Comrades

30th December 2024

Thame United were back in action in the Pitching In Southern League Central Division One as they traveled to Hertfordshire to take on league leaders Berkhamsted. Manager Ben Williams kept the same squad that featured against Leighton Town in the last game but made two changes to the starting eleven, with Curtis Brown and Oscar Lucey replacing Harry Alexander and Greg Hackett, who dropped to the bench.

The match got underway with the home side immediately on the front foot, putting the visitors under pressure from the start. They won the midfield battle and pushed Thame deep into their own half, struggling to break out. Berkhamsted's direct running at the midfield and defense was causing all sorts of problems, which the visitors found difficult to cope with.

The game could have changed on 13 minutes when the Berkhamsted number 3 went into a tackle with Curtis Brown, both feet off the ground and making no contact with the ball. It was a very poor challenge, and the referee had no hesitation in producing the red card and sending the number 3 off. It looked like Thame would get the upper hand, but the 10 men of Berkhamsted didn't let it affect them and continued to dominate play, with Thame looking vulnerable every time the home side were on the ball.

It didn't take long for the home side to open the scoring. Thame lost the ball in the center of midfield, and the ball was played out to the right-hand side. A relatively easy cross was headed home by an unmarked number 9. A few minutes later, it was 2-0, this time from the left-hand side. It was too easy for the home side’s ten men to pick up the ball and fire in a shot, which took a slight deflection as it hit the back of the net.

With ten men, the home side were dominating possession, cutting through the Thame midfield and defense at will. Keeper Matty Crowther made some good saves to keep the score at 2-0. The first half ended with Berkhamsted leading 2-0 and deserving their lead, but it could have been so much more, with the visitors managing just one shot on target, comfortably saved by the Berkhamsted keeper.

The second half got underway with Thame making three changes: Leo Galpin, Jack Tutton, and Curtis Brown were replaced by Harry Alexander, Hayden Beadle, and Greg Hackett. The game became very fractious, with strong tackles flying in and the referee brandishing yellow cards to both teams. Thame had more of the ball as the home side sat deep and played on the counter-attack, but Berkhamsted still had the better chances, with keeper Crowther being called into action to make several good saves.

Thame had more possession as they pushed forward but weren’t creating anything. They were often guilty of giving the ball away, allowing the home side to counter, break quickly, and create the better chances. Although Thame won a number of free kicks in dangerous positions and corners, the final ball was not good enough, and the Berkhamsted defense easily cleared each time. The referee added seven minutes of extra time at the end of the second half, but the home side were comfortable and continued to look more dangerous. The game ended with a well-deserved victory for Berkhamsted and a game to forget for the visitors, who ended the year with a below-par performance.

Starting Eleven