At a wind-swept ASM Stadium on Saturday, United welcomed an Ashford Town side that had only lost one league game all season and, if they won their games in hand, would be top of the table.
The visitors won the toss and elected to play against a stiff breeze running straight down the pitch – a decision that United were to take full advantage of. As early as the third minute Dan West played in Lynton Goss, who cut inside and saw his shot saved at the near post by Tobin. United then forced two corners in succession with the deliveries from Goss causing panic in the box with first Andy Gledhill and then the returning Nick Harrison going close.
The visitors were not without their moments, with Beadle particularly dangerous on the wide left, forcing Craig Hill in to a save on 11 minutes. However, five minutes later and United were in front. Man of the match, Ben Sturgess, played a ball through to Adam Morris who hit a first time effort from an acute angle wide of Tobin and in to the far corner.
Four minutes later and it was 2-0 as Gledhill intercepted a pass and the ball was then played through to Goss who out-paced his marker and, once in the area, cut across Tobin only to be pulled down by the retreating defender. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, and Goss stepped up to hit an unstoppable penalty low in to the left hand corner. Goss then nearly doubled his tally, with Tobin parrying his effort, before the visitors created a couple of half-chances without testing Hill.
The third goal arrived on 37 minutes. A pin-point pass from Morris found West racing through and, one-on-one with Tobin, West placed the ball to the keepers left and in to the back of the net via the inside of the post.
With a 3-0 lead at half-time, and the visitors benefitting from the wind in the second half, United were expecting something of an onslaught, but it never materialised as the home side played out the game plan to perfection. After Goss thought he had won another penalty on 48 minutes, the visitors started to enjoy more possession, but Sturgess and Tom Ashworth protected the back four, and Ashford were forced to hit efforts from distance, none of which troubled Hill. Indeed, it took until the 84th minute for Hill to be called in to any real action, saving low to his right and pushing the ball wide for a corner.
The final action of the game saw Gledhill feed the ball to West, but his effort skewed wide of the target.
As it was, United comfortably saw out the final few minutes to record a win that moved the side up to tenth in the league.
Thame United:
Hill, Mepham, Lynn, Hercules, Harrison, Ashworth, Morris (Evans) Goss (Gray), Sturgess, West (Johnston), Gledhill.
Man of the Match: Ben Sturgess
