February 26, 2022
Today’s visitors to the ASM Stadium were Hertford Town, who had just
under a 50 mile journey from Hertfordshire. This is their first ever season in
the Southern League, having been level transferred from the Isthmian South
Central Division as part of the usual shuffling of sides in the non-league
pyramid.
Hertford started the day third from bottom with a 6-5-18 record, having
scored a respectable 42 goals, but conceded 67. They had lost 6 out of their
previous 7 games, conceding at least 2 goals in all of these matches, and last
time out suffered a 1-4 home defeat to struggling Kidlington.
Their six league wins these season were against Barton Rovers (
1-0 A ), Kidlington ( 5-2 A ), St Neots Town ( 4-1 H ), Aylesbury United ( 2-1
H ), Waltham Abbey ( 2-1 H ), with St Neots being the highest placed side, in
12th place.
The 5 draws were achieved against St Neots ( 1-1 A ), Colney Heath
( 2-2 A ), AFC Dunstable ( 2-2 A ), Wantage ( 3-3 A ), Thame ( 1-1 H ), Ware (
1-1 A ), with AFC Dunstable, Ware and Thame all being in the top 7 in the
league.
Winger Obinna Ogbonna was their top scorer, with 12 goals,
including the goal in the 1-1 draw with Thame in November, and player/manager
Ben Herd made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League with Shrewsbury and
Aldershot.
Since these diaries covered Thame’s win over Kidlington, they had lost
1-2 at second placed Berkhamsted but then won 2-0 at Didcot to remain in 7th
place, 4 points off a play-off place. A high scoring game looked in prospect.
It was a bright sunny day at kick-off, with a temperature of 10
degrees, but with a mild, but chilly breeze. Kit Brown was on the bench for
Hertford, but unfortunately his side were playing in Yellow !
Hertford started brightly, and had a big appeal for a penalty in
the 4th minute when centre-forward Viadut Sighiartau went down after
a challenge, and from 80 yards away, it wouldn’t have been a surprise had the
spot-kick been awarded.
Thame stirred briefly, with a Pearce corner being met at the near
post by George Gilmore, but his headed flick flew across the face of the goal
and wide of the far post, and then Lynton Goss dispossessed one of the visitors’
centre-backs, played in Pearce who teed up West, but the shot from 12 yards was
blocked. However, this was only a short break to the overall pattern of play as
Hertford dominated possession with Thame looking disjointed and off the pace,
with passes frequently going astray.
In the 14th minute the impressive Ogbonna stepped inside
full-back Thorne but sent a 20 yard effort a few feet wide, and a minute later
Sighiartau robbed Lynn of possession, fed Ogbonna who headed for goal but then
opted to make a return pass to Sighiartau, but the ex-FC Romania striker saw
his shot blocked by Gilmore for a corner. Hertford appealed for another penalty
when Herd went to the floor as the ball was played into the 6 yard box, but
again the referee allowed play to continue.
A minute later Ogbonna went on another strong run, but his shot
was weak and straight at Thame keeper Hill. Ogbonna was again in the thick of
the action in the 24th minute, when a Thame pass went straight to
him and allowed him to run towards goal, but again Gilmore made an important block.
Hertford looked anything but a side third from bottom, but the
visitors continued to be unhappy with the referee as a number of tackles were
not punished, but the appeals were becoming increasingly comical.
The opening goal finally arrived in the 33rd minute.
After being awarded a free-kick close to the Thame area, as Thame prepared
their wall, Hewitt took a quick free-kick to put left-back Max Hudson clear
inside the area, and his cross found Ben Wayman to shot into the corner to give
Hertford a well deserved lead.
Thame responded immediately, and with their best move of the match
so far, moved the ball to Greg Hackett on the right just inside the Hertford area.
However, with three team-mates waiting near the far post for a cross, Hackett’s
chip went over the bar, and it was hard to tell whether it was a shot or just a
poor cross.
Hertford comfortably saw out the rest of the half to take a 1-0
lead into the dressing room, but their lead lasted barely 20 seconds into the
second half. Hertford had the kick-off but made a complete mess of it. Hewitt
seemed to not be expecting Sighiartau to play the ball to him, and Blake nipped
in to take possession. The ball was played to Goss on the right, and his cross
found Blake in the clear 8 yards out for an easy headed finish. Player/manager Herd could
be loudly heard accused his right-back Lichtenfield of playing Goss on side,
and as Thame started to get on top a few minutes later the Hertford keeper was
on the receiving end of more “advice” from his player/manager.
Thame had their own loud appeal for a penalty when Hackett went to
ground after a challenge, but again the referee waved play-on.
As the breeze started to get stronger, Thame were getting on top,
and Goss was able to turn his marker but shot well over. Hertford’s response
was to move Ogbonna to the right wing, and he played in midfielder Charlie
Payne, but again the shot was blocked by centre-back Gilmore at the expense of
a corner.
Thame should have taken the lead in the 61st minute
when a fine low cross by Pearce was met first time by the on-rushing West, but the
shot hit the legs of keeper Mewitt when it would have been a certain goal had
it been a couple feet either side of him. A minute later Goss again turned and
shot over, this time after Blake had won a header on the edge of the area.
A moment of bad sportsmanship occurred in the 70th
minute. With midfielder Gyamfi lying on the ground injured Hertford kicked the
ball out of play. However, at the restart Thame did not return the ball to the
visitors and started an attack, which was pretty poor.
The game became fairly even in the last 20 minutes. Hertford
wasted a free-kick in a promising position by blasting it in the defensive
wall, but Thame took the lead with 8 minutes left on the clock. One of the
Hertford centre-backs dwelt on the ball and was robbed by West, who immediately
put Goss clear, who drew the keeper and easily finished to make it 2-1.
Thame looked like they would the team most likely to score again,
and Tompkins had a shot deflected just wide for a corner. With 90 minutes gone, Hertford were awarded a
fairly soft free-kick 25 yards out. This time it was crossed to the far post by
Herd, but West won the header to partially clear. Hertford were able to work
the ball to Ogbonna, now back on the left, and he jinked to make space for a shot,
and his fierce effort from 8 yards was too strong for keeper Hill to keep out,
and much to the delight of the 10 Hertford supporters behind the goal it was
2-2.
Thame had one last chance to win the game. A long throw was
launched into the Hertford area, Goss headed on, and the ball fell to Tutton,
but his shot was screwed a few feet wide from the edge of the area.
Overall, a draw was probably a fair result as Hertford were much
the better side in the first half, but Thame had most of the second half. Thame
remained in 7th place, but now 5 points off the play-offs, Hertford
stayed third bottom, but now 8 points clear of relegation.
Thame United : King – Thorne, Lynn, Gilmore, Mepham –
Hackett ( Tompkins ), Tutton, West, Pearce – Goss, Blake ( Jones )
Hertford Town : Mewitt – Lichtenfield ( Ogundega), Herd, Gosling, Hudson – Weyman, Hewitt, Payne, Gyamfi ( Bunyan ), Ogbonna – Sighiartau ( Brown )
On-line programme : https://www.thamefootball.co.uk/news/thame-united--matchday-programme-2685418.html
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