In a close fought match on Saturday between two of the form sides in the league, it was the visitors who ran out winners by the finest of margins.
With United playing their first match in almost two weeks, the only changes from the side that had beaten Aylesbury United saw James McGowan come in for the now departed Ellis Hercules, with Tom Ashworth coming in to a central midfield role and Adam Morris moving to the right side of midfield.
The visitors started the match brightly and on six minutes, and after a neat build-up, Adam Cash saw an effort loop just over the bar. United responded and good inter-play between Lynton Goss and Dan West on 13 minutes saw an effort from the latter comfortably saved by McKenzie-Lyle in the visiting goal. Hayes and Yeading immediately pressed at the other end with Craig Hill in the Thame goal forced to tip a looping header from Duku over the bar.
At this stage it was end-to-end stuff, and the next opportunity came the way of United. Lynton Goss worked himself some space on the left hand side of the penalty area and hit a powerful drive that McKenzie-Lie did well to hold above his head. Hill then pushed an effort from Ehui wide of the post before, on 32 minutes, United thought they had a penalty when West was bundled over in the box by the referee waved play on.
Goalless at the break, United started the second half brightly, with Tom Ashworth earning a free kick 25-yards from goal. West stepped forward, curling an effort over the wall, only for McKenzie-Lie to flick the goal bound shot over the bar. Two minutes later, however, and the visitors took the lead. A deep cross from the left by Cash – which looked suspiciously like it had gone out of play – was headed back across goal where following some head tennis, Ehui found himself in space to also head wide of Hill.
United pressed forward for an equaliser, but were unable to create any real goal scoring opportunities until the 68th minute when West found himself through on goal, only for his effort to be saved by McKenzie-Lye. McGowan then tried his luck from 30 yards but the visiting keeper got down smartly to smother his effort. West then went down in the box for a second time, with the penalty appeals again waved away, before the visitors had a couple of half chances that were confidently dealt with by Hill. The final opportunity of the game came four minutes from time, when good play down the Thame right saw the ball played back to Calvin Evans who delivered the perfect ball across the face of the goal but none of the home strikers were able to get a touch and the ball drifted out of play.
Thame United:
Hill, Evans (Gray), Lynn, McGowan, Essex, Ashworth, Morris, Goss, Sturgess, West, Mepham (Ricketts).
