Thame United 2-3 Egham Town
United fell to a 3-2 defeat against a hard working Egham Town side on Saturday, but will be ruing the manner of the goals conceded.
And the first of these came after only 56 seconds when good play down the right saw man of the match Josh Andrew cross for Michael Kalu to slot home from 8 yards. United immediately set about getting back on level terms and Jamie Essex, Liam Tack and Lynton Goss all went close for the home side before, on 21 minutes, the equaliser arrived. Tom Ashworth collected the ball in his own half before threading a pass through to Dan West just inside the opponents half. West then went on a marauding run before crossing for Lynton Goss to slide home, giving Nolan no chance in the Egham goal.
United then took the lead ten minutes later when the visitors failed to clear and Liam Tack crossed to the far post where West was on hand to force the ball home for his 23rd league goal of the season. At this point United were in control but a lapse of concentration, and a measure of bad luck, in the final minute of the half saw the visitors back on level terms. Again, good work down the right saw a ball played in to the box and Kalu again found himself in space, but before the ball arrived at his feet, Ashworth slid in to clear, only to see his clearance ricochet back off the strikers leg and beyond Hill in the Thame goal.
It was a sucker-punch from which United never really recovered, and in the second half the visitors were always the more likely to score and enjoyed the bulk of possession. Despite their possession, the visitors more often than not played in front of a well organised Thame defensive line-up, with the home side looking to counter attack through the pace of Lynton Goss and West and the wide play of Aston Goss and Tack. Indeed, United worked good positions on a number of occasions but were often let down by the final ball. However, United went close on 72 minutes when a corner in to the box was met by the head of Essex at the far post, but his downward header was well saved by Nolan.
For their part, the visitors had, by this stage, created some good opportunities but shots were generally off target. That all changed on 77 minutes but, again, there was a measure of good fortune for the visitors. Firstly the referee and assistant wrongly awarded a throw-in to the visitors before, in the resultant attack, a ball in to the box found its way through to Kalu whose shot on goal looked to have been covered by Hill, but ballooned off the foot of Essex and in to the net. United looked to get back in to the game, but they were unable to create any significant opportunities and Nolan was rarely troubled.
United now look to get back to winning ways on Tuesday when they make the long trip to Portsmouth to face Moneyfields.
United: Hill, Evans (Murray), Mepham, Johnston, Essex, Ashworth, Tack (Lynn), L Goss, Morris, West (Sturgess) A Goss.
