January 2, 2003
After listening to the lunch-time commentary from Motty’s Mic aka cwsportradio.com on North Leigh vs Chesham United, a late decision was made to pop-out to see some local football !
At a time when the FA say they are trying to reduce travel distances in the lower leagues, the make-up of teams in this Step 6 league this season includes sides from Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and North London ! Today’s visitors though, thankfully only had a 20 mile journey down the A413 to get to Thame.
Thame United Reserves play two levels below their first team and have had a mixed season in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One, sitting in 16th place in the 20 team division with 5 victories and 14 defeats from 19 games. However, all bar one of these matches had been decided by a 2 goal or more margin, with the only exception being a 3-2 home win over Winslow United, and their goal difference at the start of the day was a whopping minus 40. With Amersham’s last 6 matches all featuring 4 goals or more, a close, low scoring encounter today was not expected !
Thame Reserves started the season with 6 straight losses leading to a goal difference of minus 23, so they could be said to have greatly improved since then, and although they had lost their last two outings, before that that had registered two wins on the trot.
Thame’s top scorer was 18 year old Harry Alexander with 10 goals in 12 appearances, earning several call-ups to the First XI and he came off the bench towards the end of the Boxing Day fixture against Aylesbury. He was again missing today on first team duty at AFC Dunstable.
17 year-old Hayden Beadle’s form has also resulted in some first team selections for him, and he came off the bench in the game covered by these diaries against Barton Rovers. Thomas Cove has notched 9 goals in 19 matches.
Their average attendance so far this season was 49, with the highest of 71 coming for the win over Winslow.
Amersham Town started the day in 4th place with an 11-4-4 record, 20 points behind runaway leaders Real Bedford FC, but looking a good bet for at least a play-off place, being 8 points clear of 6th placed Eaton Socon from St Neots. Away from home they possessed a 4-4-1 record, with the sole loss coming just before Christmas when they went down 1-4 to lowly Wellingborough Whitworth. Their away victories came at Raunds Town ( 4-2 ), Ampthill Town ( 1-0 ), Holmer Green ( 1-0 ) and Winslow ( 3-2 )
Amersham normally play in Black and White strips, and are known as The Magpies. However, today they were in a change kit of lime green shirts and blue shorts.
Amersham’s player to watch appeared to be striker Nicolas Kerley with 12 goals in 17 games, including a hat-trick in The Magpies’ Christmas fixture against London Tigers. Lewis Putnam had scored 14 goals in 12 appearances but was missing today. Captain and midfielder Louis Bircham had 6 goals to his name.
Amersham have averaged home attendances of 52 prior today, with the highest being the 91 who watched their holiday fixture versus London Tigers.
Temperature at the 15.00 kick-off was 7 degrees on a sunny but chilly day but forecast to rapidly fade after dark. Entrance was £5, but the tea bar was closed, there was no team-sheet or tannoy announcements. Hot drinks and snacks were available in the bar though ( as well as Rebellion IPA ! ).
Amersham helpfully posted their line-up on Twitter, which was unchanged from their last game, but unfortunately without their shirt numbers. I recognised only one Thame player so identification came down to interpreting the players’ and the benches shouts, plus some guesswork. I expect I have got quite a few wrong ( and will be corrected as and when identified ! )
At kick-off I counted 20 spectators watching, although the numbers slowly built-up, presumably as the stragglers came out of the bar !
Thame started brightly and Amersham keeper Lehane was called into action to claim a low cross after Thame captain Evans made a break down the right.
Kerley immediately caught the eye for the visitors with a skilful left-foot, and a nice touch led to a swift break down the left to win a corner. Thame responded with a good run from Cove winning a corner, from which everyone at the near post missed the in-swinging delivery, only for the ball to bounce over the bar for a goal-kick.
Amersham started to look the more dangerous side, Bircham had an attempt on goal blocked for a corner, and Kerley put the ball into the net after being caught offside running onto a ball over the top. Amersham’s Aldis Aliu was regularly getting into good positions on the left, but in a pattern to be repeated through the game, was short on producing the end product. In the 13th minute Aliu had a good chance, but could only shoot at a defender, and Kerley showed good control from another long ball, but his chip on the turn from distance was ambitious, and sailed harmlessly over.
Thame midfielder Daly then managed to get behind the Amersham left-back but his cross was blocked and the keeper gathered the loose ball.
With 21 minutes played, Kerley made a good break from near half-way but with four Thame defenders closing in, the striker had a go from 25 yards, but it was easily saved.
Thame won another corner and Cove sent the set-piece under the visitors’ bar, which the under-pressure keeper managed to punch away. The game was now more even as both sides attempted to play nice, passing football, but the build-up by his side was too slow for the liking of Amersham manager Stuart Atkins.
Aliu again found a lot of space on the left close to the by-line and his goalward blast from a tight angle was pushed away by the Thame keeper, but no attackers were on-hand to follow-up. Aliu was again in the action in the 30th minute, in space inside the Thame penalty area, but rather than shooting first time, he dithered and allowed a defender to get back and block his eventual effort. As a result, the Magpie’s manager’s mood worsened and his sense of humour was tested even further as Thame had a good spell.
A length of the field passing move saw Cove’s left footed curling effort tipped over the bar by the diving keeper, and then Daly’s 20 yard drive also needed to be tipped over. From the corner by Evans, Daly was left unmarked, and the smallest player on the park headed home from 6 yards to give the home side the lead in the 34th minute.
Almost from the kick-off, Amersham appealed loudly for a hand-ball outside the area as keeper Thompson gathered a through ball. The keeper looked sheepish, but the linesman and the referee both decided it was fine. After a Thame corner was cleared, Kerley looked to launch a swift counter-attack but his attempted defence splitting pass to Bircham was poor and intercepted.
Daly made another good break on the right but his team-mates failed to anticipate his intelligent pass across the face of the goal. Aliu continued to get into dangerous positions down the left, but this time he teed up Bircham, only for the Amersham captain to slice horribly wide. However, Amersham were back on level terms four minutes before the break when Kerley was given time and space, and this time his left-footed 20 yarder arrowed into the keeper’s bottom right-hand corner giving Thompson no chance.
With their tails up, Amersham looked to score a second and after good skill from Kerley on the right enabled him to send a cross to beyond the far post Aliu’s cushioned header fell to Mejzini, whose curling attempt hit a defender and went wide. Kerley’s optimistic 35 yarder went several yards wide before Thame scored a fabulous goal to regain the lead in first half added on time. Cross lived up to his name with a fantastic left-footed delivery from the left, where Thame’s right-back Matt Johnston buried a header from 6 yards.
Amersham made a change at the interval bringing on Dunbar-Bonnie, who sounds like a character from Whisky Galore, but with a Christian name of Deago I suspect he isn’t Scottish ! The substitute was immediately in the action was a run down the left but his cross was intercepted before it could reach the lurking Kerley.
A rarity then occurred when a foul throw was awarded against Thame, the first I have seen given for many a year !
Amersham’s desperation showed 5 minutes into the second half when Mejzini dived in an attempt to win a free-kick but despite the protests the referee allowed play to continue.
Thame had a glorious opportunity to extend their lead in the 55th minute, but centre-forward Hunt, totally free in the penalty area, was unable to control the ball in from the left and a minute later a poor defensive header by O’Sullivan resulted in a scramble in the visitors 6 yard box, but Amersham were able to defend their lines.
Amersham ramped up the pressure and the shots rained in on the Thame goal. Mejzini shot just wide with Thompson beaten, Bircham’s volley from 25 yards was pushed away by the diving keeper, Dunbar-Bonnie lashed a drive just over, Bircham opted to shoot over when Kerley was pleading for a pass, and then Dunbar-Bonnie wasted a 3 on 2 by ignoring his colleagues and going it alone.
Speer then robbed Evans near half-way to play in Kerley, but the strikers’ low 20 yard effort skidded just wide, but Amersham’s best chance arrived in the 63rd minute. Bircham went down just outside the area after a challenge, but as most of the visiting players appealed for a free-kick or a penalty, the ball rolled to Aliu 12 yards out with just Thompson to beat. In a repeat of earlier opportunities, with the goal at his mercy, Aliu hesitated and the Thame keeper tackled the winger with his feet to clear the danger. If the referee was playing advantage, he should have gone back and awarded the free-kick on the edge of the area, but his failure to do so presumably meant he didn’t see the challenge on Bircham as a foul.
Aliu’s failure to convert another gilt-edge chance resulted in him finally being hooked.
Kerley was then guilty of doing what Bircham had done earlier, going for a long-range attempt with a better placed team-mate on either side of him, then after a scramble in the Thame area, Speer did well to recover possession to set-up Clement-Peters for a long range shot just over.
In an increasing rare incursion into the Amersham area, Cross did well to send a cross into the danger zone, and after some pin-ball, with his back to the goal, Hunt flicked into the side-netting.
With 10 minutes remaining, The Magpies fashioned another glorious chance. Full-back Line’s clever ball towards the near post saw substitute Sells ghost in behind the Thame back four but unfortunately for him, he could only stab the chance inches wide.
The bombardment of the Thame goal continued with Kerley continuing to try his luck from distance at every opportunity, Sells sent the ball onto the ring-road, before Kerley surprised the Thame defence by opting to play a delightful pass through the defence rather than shooting, but to sum up Amersham’s afternoon, the sliding Bircham was just unable to make contact.
With nearly 9 minutes of added on time played, mostly due to a lengthy injury to Thame striker Hunt, the home side eventually hung on to claim the three points after a stoic second half defensive display and wasteful finishing from the visitors. Amersham will be wondering how they failed to win after having so many attempts on goal.
In any case, the expectation of a high scoring one-sided game didn’t come to fruition !
Thame United Reserves : Thompson – Johnston, West, Ransby, Russell – Cove, Evans, Helmer, Daly ( Watkins ), Cross ( Lay ) - Hunt
Amersham Town : Lehane – Line, Clement-Peters, O’Sullivan, Fowler ( Dunbar-Bonnie )– Clarke-Rowe ( Sells ), Bircham, Speer, Mejzini ( Loakes ), Aliu ( Chungd ) - Kerley
No comments:
Post a Comment