Beaconsfield Town 0 - 1 Thame United
United came away from second-place Beaconsfield Town with a clean sheet and three points in a thoroughly professional performance on Saturday.
Changes from the defeat against Hartley Wintney in midweek saw James McGowan and Harry Mepham come back in to the side, whilst Ben Connelly replaced the suspended Liam Tack on the right side of midfield.
Played on a superb surface despite the continuous rain, the first half lacked any real creative spark as both sides cancelled each other out. However, it was the home side who had the better of the half, seeing three crosses in to the box evade attacking players before being cleared, whilst Craig Hill was called in to action on 26 minutes, tipping a goal bound header over the bar. For their part, United worked a couple of openings, with Aston Goss seeing an effort go just wide, before a Dan West free kick on 35 minutes cleared both the wall and bar.
The home side pressed in the early stages of the second half and, within the opening minute, Craig Hill was again in action, doing superbly to keep out a close range header and push the ball wide. As the half progressed, the home side started to commit more players forward and, gradually, United started to expose the gaps. First Lynton Goss saw a header clear the bar before, on 65 minutes, the only goal of the game arrived.
United did well to win the ball back in their own half through Dan West and Adam Morris, with Tom Ashworth then sliding a pass through to Lynton Goss in the Beaconsfield half. Goss ran at his marker and, on entering the box, pushed the ball forward, with the retreating defender clipping his leg. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Goss stepped forward but Constable in the Beaconsfield goal guessed right but, in saving the penalty, he only pushed the ball back to Goss who placed the ball in to the empty net to give United the lead.
Shortly afterwards Beaconsfield were reduced to ten men as Alexander Cathline was shown a straight red card for an elbow to the jaw of Adam Morris. Despite being reduced to ten men, the home side pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but the defence was well marshalled by captain James McGowan and opportunities were limited.
Indeed, entering the final moments of the match United almost extended the lead when Lynton Goss again raced clear and, with Constable advancing, the striker confidently lobbed the ball over the keeper only for the shot to bounce up and over bar and on to the roof of the net. And United nearly rued their luck when, in the 91st minute, Hill again came to the rescue, clawing another goal bound header away and in the process securing three points for United.
Thame United:
Hill, Mepham, Lynn, Essex, McGowan, Ashworth, Connelly, L.Goss, Morris, West, A.Goss (Ricketts).
