October 26, 2024
This afternoon’s entertainment was a Southern League match between Thame United and Hertford Town, in which 7th hosted 16th.
Thame United Update
These diaries last covered Thame in mid-September when they slumped to a 0-1 home defeat to Welwyn Garden City. They have only played one home match since, last Saturday against Ware, which they won 4-0.
Prior to that they had won a Friday night game at Kings Langley ( 1-0 ) but were thrashed 2-7 by crypto-millionaire bank-rolled Real Bedford. Thame’s most recent outing was last Tuesday night, when they returned home from the Oxfordshire derby with North Leigh with a 1-0 victory, thanks to a 90th minute winner from Jefferson Louis, against one of his many former clubs !
Thame had also been on the road for two fixtures against fellow step 4 sides in the FA Trophy, winning 3-1 at Westfield but going down 2-3 at Uxbridge after conceding a penalty in added on time.
Although Thame were in 7th place with a 6-0-3 record, they had two games in hand against two of the sides above them in the table so were in early contention to get into a play-off position. Harry Alexander was now the top scorer with 11 goals in all competitions.
Hertford Town
Hertford have made three previous appearances in these diaries. In February 2022 they played a 2-2 draw at Thame, and then were covered three weeks later in a 0-2 loss to Aylesbury United played at Chesham United’s ground.
The most recent report was a 1-2 defeat in Thame in February 2023, which Fatbear noted was “not a great advertisement for the Southern League”. Hopefully today’s match would be better………….
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2023/02/thame-united-2-1-hertford-town-att-71.html
Hertford came into today’s game with a 2-3-5 record. They started season without a win in their opening seven league games but broke their duck with a 5-3 win at highly fancied Berkhamsted Town, and on Tuesday evening they beat bottom of the table Northwood Town 4-2. In between they went down 0-3 at home to Real Bedford. Speaking to one of the Hertford officials before the game he thought the improvement in form was partly due to some of their successful Academy starting to play in the senior side.
Hertford fell at the first hurdle in both cup competitions. In the FA Cup they lost 1-2 at Isthmian Division One North side Witham Town, and in the FA Trophy they drew 2-2 at Biggleswade FC but lost on penalties.
Tariq Bakkali was their top scorer in the league with six goals, followed by Billy Mardell-Smith and player-manager Ben Herd on four.
Bakkali is apparently a local lad but signed before the start of the season from Florida side Naples United, who play in the National Premier Soccer league, the second level of football in the USA.
Herd amassed nearly 400 Football league appearances for Shrewsbury Town and Aldershot Town, and in addition to being player-manager, he is one of two directors of the club, so might have to sack himself if results don’t go well !
Mardell-Smith was a youngster at Watford before being released. Keeper James Callan has played for Barnet, Aylesbury United and Hitchin.
Herd and Mardell-Smith were the only survivors from the match against Thame in 2023 playing for Hertford. Lively winger David Ogbonna is now with Slough Town in National League South, and goal scorer Jesse Lasse Waller is concentrating on his Sports Academy. In comparison, Thame had three players involved in that match playing today.
Hertford are currently the best supported team in the division, with an average of 362 so far this season. The average for Thame was 132.
Matchday Information
The journey from Hertford to Thame is 50 miles and should normally take around 90 minutes via the A1M and the A41. Twelve Hertford supporters were stood behind the goal their side was attacking in the first half, with a handful of others watching in the main stand.
Admission for today’s game was £10 for adults, £5 for OAPs, £3 for Under 16s and free for the Under 5s. A large cup of tea was £1.50.
It was raining at the 15.00 kick-off time, something which had not been forecasted by the BBC. The temperature was around 14 degrees.
Thame played in their usual kit of red and black striped shirts with black shorts and red socks, whilst Hertford were in their change kit of yellow shirts with blue shorts and socks.
Thame were unchanged from their side that started at North Leigh. Highly rated Oxford City teenage defender Phil Crocker was signed on loan on the morning of the match and was on the bench, together with Brayden Daniel, another teenage loanee from Oxford City.
Hertford made three changes to the side which was victorious over Northwood Town. Top scorer Bakkali was missing, apparently on holiday, and his replacement was the huge Tyriq Hunte, who has featured in these diaries for Aylesbury United. A special shirt had to be made to fit him, hence him wearing number 19. Zach Howell, on loan from Stevenage, replaced George Andreou at left-back, and Emmanuel Abudiore was in for Zen Cunningham. Their squad certainly had a youthful look to it, with only three of their 16 players being over 23 years of age.
Match Report
Hertford kicked off but immediately lost possession. Alexander played the ball forward to Curtis Brown to run into the Hertford area, but he sliced his shot wide from a tightish angle. Hertford took a short goal-kick and Alexander robbed the Hertford defender of the ball, which rolled to Mcelroy who had a 1 vs 1 with the keeper. However, Mcelroy unselfishly squared the ball to give Brown a tap in from eight yards. 1-0 with less than a minute played.
Thame had their tails up and shortly after, a free kick from Dan West reached Mark Riddick beyond the far post, and his header back across goal found Alexander, whose header was straight a keeper Callen, who made a comfortable save above this head.
The rain was now heavier and the first yellow card of the game was shown in the 8th minute when West pulled back Mardell-Smith near the half-way line. The free kick was wasted and Thame keeper Crowther kicked quickly to launch a Thame attack. Mcelroy’s flick ahead gave Alexander the opportunity to chase but Callen was alert to the danger and came out of his area to put the ball off for a throw in.
Hertford then broke quickly and Brian Garzon’s shot forced Crowther into a diving save by his right-hand post to concede a corner.
Hunte did well to turn and spread play wide to Geroge Devine on the left, but his cross was partially blocked by Thame right back Joshua Stranks and Crowther prevented the corner. The Thame keeper then sent a kick deep into the Hertford half where Brown ran clear and into the area. He returned the earlier favour and played a simple ball to the give Mcelroy a tap in. Hertford player-manager Herd gave Howell a right old rollocking for allowing the ball to go over his head and then standing watching, and whilst he had a point, I think it is usually better for young players to coached and encouraged rather than be abused and lose confidence. Anyway, it was now 2-0 after 12 minutes.
Thame were now playing some nice football, and left-back Oscar Lucey was sent scampering down the left-hand touchline and his first time ball into the area was met by Alexander, whose left footed effort when just over the bar.
A minute later Brown had possession on the right wing and his cross was met by the on-running West, who powered a header from just inside the 18-yard line into the top corner for a fabulous goal. 3-0 with 18 minutes played.
A flowing move involving Hackett and Alexander saw Lucey again running into space on the left, but his low cross was cleared by Wahab.
Howell made a promising run from the half-way line into the Thame area but then went down easily and the referee ignored the appeals for a penalty. Garzon then tried his luck from long range, and his efforted skidded off the surface but was straight at Crowther who easily saved.
Hertford were now enjoying a good spell and a dangerous cross from Bernal was just too far ahead of Abudiore. In the 25th minute Abudiore shot from outside the area, but his effort hit Mardell-Smith and deflected to safety for Thame.
Howell dived again, trying to win a free kick near the half-way line but he wasn’t touched, and Thame looked to attack. However,Brown was crowded out by the Hertford defence. When the ball when out of play for a Hertford throw in, the referee went over to Howell to have a word with him but kept his yellow card in his pocket.
Abudiore was looking lively for The Blues and after cutting in from the right he sent a left-footed effort bouncing to the far corner until Crowther produced a fine diving save to push the ball away.
Howell went on an overlap in support of Devine, but his cross was blocked by Stranks for a corner. The set-piece was delivered to beyond the back post where it was headed back across the six-yard line by Hunte. A scramble followed and when the ball reached the edge of the Thame area Wahab’s shot was at Crowther who made a regulation save. Hertford’s Devine had been injured in the melee and he was unable to continue, with 16-year-old Riley Carr taking his place.
By now the rain had stopped and Thame upped their play again. A lovely pass from Hackett released Alexander but his ambitious attempt to chip the keeper went a few feet over the bar. Hackett then cut back inside from the left, but 20-yard shot was well saved by Callan at his near post. Hackett was involved again, being released down the left and he ran away from Bernal, but ball into the middle was put out for a corner by Howell. Wahab headed the corner off, but the referee thought otherwise and gave a goal kick to the Hertford.
The final piece of action of the first half saw Hertford again carelessly give the ball away. Mcelroy ran towards the Hertford penalty area, and with Stranks making a distracting overlapping run, Mcelroy attempted to play a through pass to Alexander, but it was fractionally overhit and Callen was able to gather.
Thame fully deserved their three-goal lead at the interval. Despite having a good 10 minute spell mid-way through the half, overall Hartford had been poor, they had conceded two poor goals, had regularly given away possession, and their midfield had not been tracking Thame’s runners. It looked like a case of how many Thame would win by.
Hertford made a change at the start of the second half, with 17-year-old Roman Chapps, who could be a gag in The Life Of Brian, replacing Wahab in central defence, and they looked the better for it. They started the second period enjoying plenty of possession but content to play the ball around in their own half. Indeed, the first chance of the period fell to Thame. West’s free kick was launched into the Hertford area, and the ball fell kindly to Galpin. However, the Thame centre-half, perhaps suffering from a nosebleed being so far forward, decided to square the ball rather than shoot but Mcelroy was closed down. When the ball was cleared as far as West, the shot went out of the ground.
Riley was making a favourable impression for Hertford and won a corner off Stranks, which was punched away from under his crossbar by Crowther.
In the 54th minute Mcelroy robbed Chapps near the corner flag, and his pull back set up Lucey to shoot from the angle of the penalty area, but the effort went across the face of the goal and narrowly wide.
Herd was shown a yellow card in the 57th minute but I am not sure why. It may have been for something that he said……..
Thame then had another flowing move but when Hogg attempted a defence splitting ball to tee up Brown, an outstretched foot from a Hertford defender succeeded in deflecting the ball his keeper.
Carr made a good run to the left-hand byline but his chip towards Hunte was intercepted and bounced off Hunte for a goal kick. Another good run from Carr saw him get to the ball before it went out of play and his cross sailed past the far post and then out of play before Abudiore could get on the end of it.
Another spell of Thame pressure ended with another shot onto the ring road, with Alexander this time being the culprit.
Howell was slightly unfortunate when the ball struck his arm, and the referee awarded a free kick for handball. He then compounded matters by kicking the ball away to prevent Thame from quickly taking the free kick, and was rewarded with a yellow card for his efforts.
A passing move featuring Mcelroy and Alexander saw Hackett enter the Hertford area and after weighing up his options the Thame midfielder sent a curling effort towards the far corner, but Callan denied him with a fine diving save.
Howell’s day continued to go from bad to worse when he was penalised for a foul throw, but to be fair to the lad, none of his teammate had made any run to give him an option.
Thame were increasingly content to allow Hertford to have possession, looking to break quickly when they turned over the ball.
Thame captain Riddick was the next player to see yellow but again I had no idea why, and the free kick was taken at least 25 yards from where play had been stopped, so presumably the referee had been playing an advantage.
Hertford’s attacking threat in the second half was perhaps summed up when Garzon shot 20 yards wide.
A Thame counterattack saw substitute Daniel get into the right-hand side of the Hertford area but his ball looking for Louis was put out for a corner. A free kick from Hogg was then arrowing into the top corner when Callan made another top class save to push the ball away.
Thame substitute Fabian Garcia ran into the Hertford area along the left-hand byline, only to be bundled over by Mardell-Smith for an obvious penalty. The referee spoke with his assistant and then told Herd to keep his head in the final 3 or 4 minutes. Presumably the player-manager had not agreed with the decision ! Louis stepped up and sent Callen the wrong way from the spot. 4-0 with 87 minutes on the clock.
Garcia made another eye-catching run down the left and delivered a good ball to the centre of the 6 yard line where Howell mis-kicked, but fortunately for him the ball rolled back to his keeper.
Hertford were looking for a consolation goal, and after a nice move down the left, Howell’s ball reached Garzon, but his shot was at Crowther who pushed the effort away. Hogg needlessly entered the referee’s notebook with a pull on Mardell-Smith shirt, and with the final play of the game Herd lofted the ball from the left to the far post and was headed wide by Ajiboye, upon which the referee blew the final whistle.
Thame had now won three matches in a row without conceding a goal. They remained in 7th place but were now only 5 points from the leaders. Hertford remained in 16th.
Link To Online Programme : https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com%2Fclubs%2F13461%2FI5rae98fQPecXsFtD4OC_Match+Day+Programme+Hertford+Town.pdf
Thame United : Crowther – Stranks, Galpin, Murray, Lucey – Brown ( Daniel ), Riddick, West ( Hogg ), Hackett ( Garcia ) – Mcelroy ( Croker ), Alexander ( Louis )
Hertford Town : Callan – Bernal, Wahab ( Chapps ), Herd, Howell – Abudiore ( Ajiboye ), Garzon, Mardell-Smith, Brown-Johnson ( Pepaj ), Devine ( Carr ) – Hunte
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