August 26, 2024
The August Bank Holiday saw an Oxfordshire derby between Thame United and Kidlington for this afternoon’s entertainment.
Thame United Update
Since these diaries reported on Thame being thumped 0-4 at home by a very good Berkhamsted side, they won their subsequent two matches. First, they triumphed 5-0 over Beaconsfield Town in the FA Cup, where next weekend they face Isthmian Premier League side Wingate and Finchley, who play at one level higher than Thame.
Then on Saturday, Thame battled to a 1-0 victory at Enfield FC, with Harry Alexander grabbing the only goal of the game 12 minutes from the end. That win took Thame up to 8th in the table with two wins from three games.
Thame have also added to their squad, with highly rated winger Brayden Daniel joining on a season’s loan from Oxford City. Daniel had enjoyed a productive loan last season, scoring 12 goals in 21 games to help Aylesbury United avoid relegation.
Kidlington FC
Kidlington have twice featured in these diaries, a 1-3 loss at Thame in February 2022 but they won 2-1 at home on Boxing Day in 2023, also against Thame.
There appears to have been much turnover of players and staff in the past 8 months as only four players that turned out for Kidlington on Boxing Day, centre-backs Jack Smith & Ben Richards plus full-back Sam Jenkins and midfielder Zarius Edwards-Giroud are listed as still being with the club.
Winger Mekhai Bessasa-Grant is back at Oxford City after a season long loan and Amari Davis-Stephenson, who was on work experience from Oxford United, has now signed for Hendon. Keeper Jack Hopwood returned to former club Aylesbury United and forward Connor Ferguson joined Banbury United. Brazilian striker Felipe Barcelos now seems to be playing Futsal but the whereabouts of Jack Gardner, Sam Bailey, George Cowmeadow and Finlay Ryan-Phillips are currently unknown to Fatbear.
The pen-pictures of the current Kidlington players in today’s programme inform us of what wonderful players they are and what great potential they have, but fail to state who they had played for prior to joining Kidlington. However, I can say that striker Cheyce Grant has played for Welwyn Garden City whilst forward partner John Dennis has returned to the club after a season with Cirencester Town.
17 year old Charlie Bacon is on his second loan from Oxford City, having scored 5 goals in 8 games on loan from The Hoops at the end of last season, and right-back Hamza Al Jabari is also on loan from Oxford City.
Kidlington Season So Far
Kidlington started the day fourth from bottom, ahead of Northwood, Stofold and North Leigh on goal difference. They had played only two league matches so far and lost both of them, going down, 2-4 at Beaconsfield Town and 0-1 at home to Kings Langley. They didn’t have a match on Saturday.
In the FA Cup, they won their first tie 3-0 win at Hellenic League Tuffley Rovers, but then got hammered 0-4 at home by Yate Town in the next round.
Matchday Information
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off was cloudy and 21 degrees.
Thame made four changes from their side that started at Enfield, with Oliver Hogg, Jefferson Louis, Tom McElroy and Daniel coming in for Garcia, Tutton, Alcock and Cameron. After playing at centre-back this season, the veteran Louis returned to his more familiar role of centre-forward.
For Kidlington, Sam Jenkins returned at centre-back, with Ben Richards dropping to the bench.
Kidlington were in their usual green and white striped shirts, with green shorts and socks, whilst Thame were in their home kit of red and black stripped shirts, black shorts and red socks.
Matchday Report
At the kick-off there were around 20 or so Kidlington fans behind the goal their side was defending, with a drummer and making lots of noise. More Kidlington supporters were also scattered around the ground.
The early stages were cagey as both sides probed for openings. Kidlington saw a free-kick from Dennis headed back across the goal by Edwards-Giraud, but Galpin cleared from the home side.
Bacon was looking lively for the visitors and after 9 minutes he got past Thame left-back Lucey, but his cross was over-hit. When Kidlington reworked possession, Bacon blazed well wide from just inside the penalty area.
There were a few strong tackles as both sides scrapped for the ball in the middle of the park, but although several fouls could have been given, the referee was content to let play continue.
Grant won the first corner of the match in the 19th minute for Kidlington. The inswinger from Dennis went to the back post but a Thame head got to it, and Hogg cleared the second ball.
Thame’s first foray in the Kidlington area saw Hogg’s free-kick headed by Louis at the keeper, but the referee awarded a free-kick for pushing by the veteran. A minute later, a pass from Daniel enabled Stranks to run from inside his own half into the Kidlington penalty area but good defending from Jenkins in the tackle as Stranks was about to pull the trigger won a goal-kick for Kidlington.
In the 18th minute, Alexander played a ball forward to Louis with his back to the goal, but when Big Jeff laid the ball back, Alexander’s 20-yard effort was scuffed well wide.
Kidlington’s Middleton saw his long throw headed away and Thame counterattacked with Alexander releasing Daniel on the right, but a disgraceful late tackle by Conor Taylor sent Daniel crashing to the floor. The potential leg-breaker of a challenge was only deemed a yellow card by the referee, with an assessor sitting behind me in the stand. Taylor was very lucky to stay on the pitch.
Thame were starting to get on top, but Riddick’s header from a right-wing cross was straight at keeper Thomas Carter, who made a routine save.
In the 25th minute, several of the Kidlington players appealed for a free kick when one of their players fell to the floor with no Thame player near him and Thame took possession and attacked. A perfect through pass from Alexander put Daniel clear and the Oxford City youngster produced a neat left-footed finish, sending the ball into the keeper’s bottom right-hand corner. It was a calm finish to give Thame a 1-0 lead.
Thame nearly doubled their lead a minute later when another pass from Alexander sent Daniel scampering clear, but this time his shot from the right was saved by keeper Carter at his near post at the expense of a corner.
In response, Kidlington were able to work the ball to Bacon, but he was twice closed down and his efforts on goal were blocked by the Thame defenders.
Kidlington were forced into an early substitution in the 32nd minute when Jenkins picked up an injury and had to leave the field to be replaced by Richards.
A free kick from Dennis from the right reached Grant, but his volley was weak and went several yards wide.
McElroy won a corner for Thame, which was taken short, and eventually Hogg was able to get a cross in which Carter pushed onto the bar and over. It looked like it should have been a regulation catch but perhaps the keeper lost his bearings.
With 6 minutes to go to the interval, the Thame players waited for a free kick to be given but Grant played on, cut inside from the left past Stranks and sent a fierce effort goalwards, but Crowther was able to push away, diving at his near post. Bacon again beat Lucey on the right wing to get to the by-line but his strong low cross struck Dennis on the knee ahead of the near post and went off for a goal-kick.
Abe Davies-Small was then found in space 25 yards from goal and allowed to turn, but his effort sailed about 10 yards over the bar.
With added time being played, Alexander enjoyed a fortunate bounce to burst into the Kidlington penalty area, but a Kidlington defender was able to put the ball out for a corner. Carter was able to punch away the ball into the 6-yard box, and the referee immediately blew the whistle for half-time.
As the sides headed towards the dressing rooms, Thame deserved their one goal lead, but Kidlington would have been heartened by having enjoyed a good spell in the last 15 minutes of the half.
Kidlington right-back entered the referee’s notebook within two minutes of the restart, bringing down McElroy and then had the nerve to complain to the referee about the decision.
However, Kidlington should have equalised four minutes into the half, as a long ball caught the Thame back-line napping and Dennis latched on to it, only to steer narrowly wide from just inside the area. With long ball seeming in vogue, Thame responded by launching from the back to Daniel who ran into the visitors area but his attempt was blocked for a corner. Kidlington cleared the corner and went on the attack but when Dennis attempted to send Grant clear, Thame keeper Crowther was alert and came outside of his area to clear.
The game was now end-to-end, but a flowing move from the home side saw left-back Lucey run at the retreating Kidlington back-line and when he received a return pass from Daniel his shot from 14 yards was parried by keeper Carter. Fortunately for Thame, Louis was on hand to apply a left-footed finish from a fairly tight angle. 2-0 after 51 minutes.
Kidlington had a chance almost immediately but when a long throw bounced across the six-yard box, it appeared to hit Robertson on the chest and keeper Crowther dived on the loose ball.
Thame produced another flowing move with Alexander finding Louis, whose pass put McElroy on a 1 on 1 with the keeper, but the linesman’s flag was raised for a very tight offside call.
Kidlington’s main hope of scoring now seemed to be from long throws, and from another projectile into the mixer, Crowther was able to get a fist to the ball and Thame marauded forwarded. Louis released Daniel, who ran towards goal, but with Alexander unmarked, he opted for the unselfish pass to Alexander, who fired into the roof of the net from 12 yards. 3-0 after 56 minutes.
In an effort to get back into the game, Kidlington made two changes, and another corner was punched away by Crowther. Grant had been moved to left-wing from centre-forward for Kidlington, but his cross from the left was well claimed by Crowther.
Thame though were looking rampant, and Hogg disposed Dennis near the half-way line but the through pass from Louis to McElroy was intercepted by Smith. McElroy then delivered a defence splitting ball for Daniel to run clear but his pull back to Alexander saw a 20-yard shot blocked by the overworked Kidlington defence.
With the points now seemingly in the bag, Thame started to make some substitutions, presumably with half an eye on their FA Cup tie on Saturday, as the impressive Daniel and Alexander took a breather.
Substitute Curtis Brown was unlucky when his left-footed shot from the edge of right-hand side of the area looked to be heading into the top corner, only for Carter to produce a stunning, finger-tipped save at the expense of a corner. However, Carter quickly went from hero to zero, when he flapped at the corner from Tucker, and Riddick volleyed into the roof of the net from about 2 yards. 4-0 after 70 minutes.
Thame were after more goals, but McElroy’s shot from the edge of the area was denied by a great save to push the ball over the bar by Carter. The corner was headed at the far post but saved by the legs of the keeper. Thame were able to rework the ball to Garcia inside the penalty area on the right, but his effort hit the angle of the bar and post to go over for a goal kick.
Two of Thame’s substitutes then combined as Brown ran at the Kidlington defence, drew the last man and played in Garcia, who curled a first-time 20 yarder from the left into the opposite bottom corner. 5-0 with 79 minutes on the clock.
Kidlington nearly claimed a consolation goal, but although Shepherd was put clear with just Crowther to beat, his shot lacked conviction, and the Thame keeper saved with an outstretched leg. A long range shot from Dennis then went narrowly wide.
The last efforts of the match came from the home side. Brown put the ball onto the roof of the net from a tight angle, Cameron had a short partially blocked, then Brown latched onto a long ball from Galpin but could only shot across goal and just wide of the far post.
At the final whistle, Thame could celebrate three points from a convincing victory but as one of the Kidlington supporters commented, “Its going to be a long, hard season”.
Following this result, Thame moved up one place to 7th, whilst Kidlington dropped to third from bottom.
Matchday Programme : https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com/clubs/13461/OZQH2JkeQjG7ZxQP3mLj_Match%20Day%20Programme%20Kidlington.pdf
The Goals : https://x.com/i/status/1828389080557638045
Thame United : Crowther – Stranks, Murray, Galpin, Lucey – Daniel ( Brown ), Alexander ( Tucker ), Riddick, Hogg ( Tutton ) – Louis ( Garcia ), McElroy ( Cameron )
Kidlington FC : Carter – Middleton ( Al Jabri ), Smith, Jenkins ( Richards ), Taylor - Bacon, Robertson ( Costa ), Edwards-Giraud, Davies-Small ( Shepherd ) - Grant, Dennis
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