There are games you lose when you know you have been beaten by a better team, and games you lose when you know you did not play to your potential.
The match with Hayes and Yeading United at the impressive SKYex Stadium fell within the latter category. Despite that, United could not have got off to a better start when, after only two minutes, good inter-play down the Thame right between Ben Sturgess, Lynton Goss and Dan West, saw West cross the ball to the far post where Luke Ricketts beat Smith, despite the keeper getting a hand to the shot.
The home side pressed for an equaliser and, after shooting over after six minutes, the equaliser arrived on 15 minutes when a long ball from the back fell for Josh Chamberlain who deftly curled the ball over Eddie Cavanagh from 25 yards. The ball then came back off the Thame post from a drive on 17 minutes, before Sturgess was forced from the field of play due to injury, replaced by Tom Ashworth. All the time, Ricketts was causing problems for right-back Danny May and after a good run on 22 minutes he narrowly failed to pick out West with a cross. However, he got his second, and the second for United on 26 minutes. A good ball from Adam Morris found Goss in space down the left and reaching the bye-line, Goss cut the ball back to Ricketts on the edge of the box who powerfully angled a drive in to the far corner.
Still, United were unable to hold on to the lead, and two minutes later Rowan Vine struck an effort from the edge of the box that looped over Cavanagh and in to the back of the net. It became three on 32 minutes when Vine found space in the box to cross, where the initial effort by Chamberlain was cleared off the line, before the same player finished the rebound.
Whilst the home side had, by this stage, enjoyed the majority of possession, United were still dangerous on the break and, on 37 minutes, Goss put West through on a one-on-one with Smith in the home goal, with latter (unfortunately for the travelling fans) coming out on top.
The second half was tighter than the opening half, albeit United fashioned a chance on 50 minutes when good inter-play led to Goss finding himself six yards from goal at an acute angle, but his goalbound drive was gratefully held by Smith. Ricketts, still causing problem, fashioned another opportunity on 59 minutes, but United were caught out with 15 minutes to go when Rohdell Gordon found himself in space on the right, before cutting inside and firing wide of Cavanagh.
The nearest United came to getting back in to the game was on 80 minute when Goss beat his marker before curling an effort just wide of the post from the edge of the box. As it was, the home side held on for the first league win of the season, leaving United to rue what could have been.
Thame United: Cavangh, Evans, Lynn, Smyth, Johnston, Sturgess (Ashworth), Connelly Goss, Morris (Dennis), West (Gledhill), Ricketts.
