Coleshill Town 2 - 2 Thame United
Two goals in the final six minutes gave ten man United a share of the points in a hard fought encounter at Coleshill Town on Saturday.
Manager Mark West named a number of changes to the side beaten by Barton Rovers the previous week, with Dan James assuming a Centre Back role, Laurence Clark starting in Centre Midfield and Harry Scott returning on the left side.
United opened the brighter of the two sides, and it was Scott who almost gave the visitors the lead on 3 minutes when he found space on the left and cut inside to drive a right foot shot that Coton in the Coleshill goal tipped over the bar for the corner. However, the home side gradually got in to the game with their deep, cross-field balls causing increasing problems for the Thame defence. It was from one of these that United were unable to clear and, on the edge of the box, a home attacker was fouled with the referee determining the offence was inside the penalty area, with a penalty awarded. The spot kick was confidently dispatched by Leek, sending Hill in the Thame goal the wrong way. It was 2-0 on 24 minutes when Liam Molesworth collected the ball just inside the United half before running at the heart of the Thame defence, and finding space to fire past Hill from 15 yards.
Two goals down at half time and United knew they needed to improve - and they started the second half well with, on 52 minutes, Liam Tack seeing an effort from the left pushed wide of the post by Coton. United continued to probe, but needed to be equally mindful of the threat from the home side, with most of their play coming from Edmunds in the centre of midfield. And then any prospect of a come back seemed to disappear on 63 minutes when James was shown a red card for dangerous tackle in midfield.
Hill in the Thame goal then pulled off a fine save, before United had a great chance to pull a goal back on 66 minutes when Tack found space inside the penalty area. Unfortunately, however, the strike hit the outside of the post and the danger was over for the home side. Coleshill continued to press, albeit efforts on goal were generally from distance and comfortable for Hill.
As the game moved in to the final stages, the ten men of Thame continued to probe, and they were rewarded on 88 minutes when a through ball found Tack in space. Tack, bearing down on goal, opened out his body and curled the ball over Coton and in to the back of the net. The goal changed the complexion of the game with the home side suddenly feeling the pressure but, as the game entered the 95th minute, it looked as though the goal from Tack was no more than a consolation. Then, with a minute to play, a header from Sturgess released Tack in the box and he just beat Coton to the ball, with the keepers momentum following through and taking-out Tack. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the sport and substitute Marcuse Mealing stepped-up to send Coton the wrong way and, in the process, secure a hard earned point for the visitors.
United:
Hill, Mepham, Lynn, Essex, James, Martin (Ashworth), Tack, Sturgess, Clark, Gledhill (Mealing), Scott (Cullen)
