FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
5 August 2016
Thame United 3 Abbey Rangers 0
Thame United progressed to the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 victory over visitors Abbey Rangers on Friday evening.
The match, which marked the visitors first ever game in the competition, was played out in front of a healthy crowd of 141 and, after a Luke Ricketts effort went over the bar on 6 minutes, they did not have to wait long for a goal.
That honour went to Lynton Goss who collected the ball 30 yards from goal and, with defenders backing-off, struck an angled effort from just outside the box that gave the visiting keeper no chance. The goal will, in fact, go down in history as the earliest ever goal in the FA Cup given that never before has the competition started so early in August.
Whilst United continued to press, the visitors thought they had found an equaliser on 18 minutes when Ford headed home from a free-kick, only to be flagged for off-side. A Ricketts effort was then saved on the line before another Ford effort forced Henry Craven in the Thame goal to spectacularly push the ball wide of goal. Eventually the second goal arrived when, in the 38th minute, a deep cross from the left was knocked back in to the area by Ben Connelly for Andy Gledhill to head home via a slight deflection – his fourth goal in two games. Shortly afterwards Craven was adjudged to have handled the ball outside the area, but the resultant free-kick from Carey went over the bar.
During the early stages of the second half United had a few chances to extend their lead as West (twice) and Ricketts went close. United thought they had won a penalty on 63 minutes when Gledhill was upended in the box, but the Referee instead gave a corner. However, five minutes later and United were awarded a penalty when West was fouled when through on goal. However, Goss placed his effort wide of the goal, and the visitors immediately went down the other with Efambe volleying just wide.
Goss made amends three minutes later with a drive from 20 yards that the keeper got a hand to but could not keep out. With United three goals to the good, the remainder of the game was largely uneventful, and United progressed to the next round where they will face North Leigh at the ASM Stadium.
Next game for United is on Saturday 13th August, when Highworth Town are the visitors to the ASM Stadium for a league match, 3:00pm kick off.
United: Craven, Evans, Dugmore, Hayes, Feyi.D (Bailey), Gregory (Ashworth), Connelly, Goss, Gledhill, West, Ricketts (Feyi K)
