May 3, 2025
The final of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final saw a meeting of step 4 Thame United and step 5 Ardley United, with the game being hosted at Oxford City. Thame had won the past two finals so were looking to make it three in a row, and their 11th in total.
Ardley had won the Senior Cup once, when in 2013/14 they stuffed Kidlington 4-0 in the final.
Routes To The Final
Ardley caused a bit of a surprise in the semi-finals when they beat Oxford United 3-0. Oxford United fielded a youth/development side full of highly rated talent that were top of their league, but they were swept aside by an experienced Ardley side, with a record crowd of 472 in attendance.
In the earlier rounds Ardley had received a bye after North Leigh pulled out of the competition, and in the First Round Oxfordshire Senior league side Yarnton were despatched 6-0.
Thame won their semi-final by beating a youthful Oxford City side on penalties after a 1-1 draw, which was reported on by Fatbear.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2025/03/thame-united-1-1-oxford-city-att-200.html
Prior to that, Thame had beaten Kidlington ( 1-0 ) and Oxfordshire Senior League side Addersbury Park 9-1.
Ardley United
Ardley were founded in 1945 and are currently in their second season as members of the Combined Counties League Premier North, after a three-year spell in the Spartan South Midlands League. However, in the previous 28 years they were playing in the Hellenic League, where they were regular opponents for Thame.
Home is the Norton Oil Grounds which has 100 seats and a notable slope. Ardley’s traditional home colours are all sky blue.
Fatbear last saw Ardley United play in July 2022 when they played a pre-season friendly at Thame United. The report on their 0-1 defeat that day covered all the previous games seen by Fatbear between the two sides.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2022/07/thame-united-1-0-ardley-united-att-40.html
Four of the Ardley side that played that day are still with the club, all familiar names on the Oxfordshire non-league circuit. Declan Benjamin was outstanding on the right side of midfield during Oxford City’s Conference North seasons, Lewis Gabbidon Senior was an ex-Oxford City and Wycombe Wanderers defender, Elliot Osbourne-Ricketts was a former Didcot midfielder/winger, and much admired veteran goal scorer Anaclet Odihambo, who numbered Kidlington, Marlow, North Leigh and Didcot amongst his former clubs.
Also in the Ardley squad was 35-year-old St Vincent and Grenadines international Gavin James ( 9 caps ), who had stints at Marlow, Flackwell Heath, Slough Town, Bracknell Town, Aylesbury United and Risborough Rangers., whilst attacking midfielder Andi Noka was previously with Didcot. Lewis Gabbidon Junior is not the son of Senior !
Ardley’s manager was ex-Abingdon United and Kidlington midfielder Julian McCalmon, who was reported to be taking charge of Ardley for the last time today, with assistant Mark Massingham stepping up to take over next season. Massingham was previously manager of Kidlington in the 2023/24 season.
Like the previous season, Ardley finished in 11th place in the Combined Counties Premier Division North, with a 15-4-19 record. Odihambo was the leading scorer with 16 goals, followed by Gabbidon with 6 and James with 5.
Ardley’s last match was a 4-1 home win over Harefield United back on April 9th, so they had gone nearly a month without playing a game, so could be a little rusty today. Ardley had started the season in promising fashion winning 6 of their opening 7 league games, but only won 9 of the subsequent 31 matches.
Ardley had exited both FA competitions at the first hurdle, losing 2-3 at Reading City in the FA Cup and 0-1 at Risborough Rangers in the FA Vase.
Ardley’s average home league attendance this season was 78.
Matchday Information
Admission for today’s game was £7 for adults and £1 for concessions and an on-line programme had been produced for the final. A large cup of tea was £2.40, and a small bottle of white wine was £5.50.
The weather at the 14.30 kick off time was overcast but 19 degrees, although the temperature was to drop during the game.
In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, the game would be decided by a penalty shoot-out, rather than playing extra-time.
Ardley made three changes from the side that beat Harefield United in their last match, with the return of captain Sam McConnell in defence, 16 year old keeper John Roberts and midfielder Brad Walton. James dropped to the bench, and Finaly Roberts and Harry Francis-Jones missed out completely.
Thame also made three changes from the side that lost to Real Bedford last Saturday with Lewis Thorne, Ethan Lack and Curtis Brown starting, with Jefferson Louis, Oscar Lucey and Rocko Tamplin as substitutes.
Ardley were playing in an Argentina like kit of light blue and white striped shirts with blue shorts, whilst Thame were in their usual red and black stripes.
The Premier League Trophy was on display on the side of the pitch before kick-off before heading off to Anfield.
Match Report
The first goalmouth occasion occurred in the third minute when Thame’s Brayden Daniel stretched to reach Brown’s right wing cross but was unable to bring it under control.
Benjamin then went on a mazy run deep into the Thame half, rolling back the years, but was eventually crowded out by the Thame defence.
In the 7th minute, Noka’s ball down the right-hand touchline should have been cut out by Stranks, and Gabbidon was able to get to the Thame byline, but his ball across the 6 yard line was ahead of Osborne-Ricketts.
Thame’s first on target attempt came three minutes later when Daniel’s pull back reached Lack, who did well to strike the bouncing ball, but Roberts made a decent save to push away for the first corner of the match.
Thame managed to get the ball into the back of the net after the corner was cleared, but although Tutton’s ball into the area evaded everyone, the referee deemed that Deacon had fouled keeper Roberts when going for the ball, so the goal was chalked off.
The referee had a difficult start to the match, allowing play to continue when there seemed to have been obvious fouls, yet blowing for free-kick when players went to ground far too easily.
In the 13th minute Brown launched a long throw into the Ardley area, which was headed on for Deacon to head over the bar, but it must have deflected off an Ardley defender as the referee awarded a corner. Daniel took a short corner to Brown, who won another corner, but this time it was headed clear by the Ardley defence.
Thame keeper Matt Crowther was called into action in the 17th minute, diving to push away a fierce drive from Gabbidon for a corner. The set-piece wasn’t dealt with by the Thame defence and after a scramble the ball fell to Odihambo inside the 6-yard box, who hit the post, but the rebound went to Gabbidon at the back post, who had the simple task of side-footing into the empty net. 0-1 with 17 minutes played.
Ardley had their tails up and were putting Thame under further pressure. Walton saw his shot blocked, and Njogu sent the rebound narrowly wide from 20 yards.
Thame’s response was for Dan West to head a Tutton free-kick a yard wide, but at the other end Osborne-Ricketts ran away from West, but Thorne blocked the goal-bound effort at the expense of a corner. Noka’s cross then found Gabbidon in space inside the Thame area, but his ball across the face of the goal had no-one to apply the finishing touch.
The game was end to end, and a long throw from Brown was headed away as far as Lack, who chipped the ball back into the Ardley 6 yard box, but Riddick’s acrobatic volley from 6 yards went over the bar.
Thame’s defence was looking uncertain every time Ardley played balls into their penalty area, and another cross from Walton was only cleared to the edge of the area, but the loose ball was blasted high and wide.
With 35 minutes played, Thame centre-forward Ty Deacon did well to get away from McConnell on the left to get into the Ardley area, but his low ball across the goalmouth from a tight angle had no-one to get on the end of it. A minute later, Tutton’s free-kick was met by Finlay Murray, but the header looped high in the air, and Roberts had an easy catch to make.
At the other end, Ardley came close again when a free-kick was headed across the Thame area to Gabbidon, but his low drive was blocked. Gabbidon then became the recipient of the game’s first yellow card, after a trip on Daniel.
As the game entered first half added on time Tutton’s free-kick was headed back out to him, and he sent the return towards the Ardley far post, where Deacon did well to control and play a pass across the 6-yard line for the unmarked West to finish from close range. 1-1 after 45 minutes.
Good work from Noka, Walton and Odihambo then created half a chance for Casbierd, but the 30 yard bouncing effort was a comfortable save for Crowther. Riddick then fouled Walton a couple of yards outside the Thame penalty area, but Walton’s delivery into the area was poor and headed away.
As the sides headed to the dressing rooms at the interval, Thame were a little fortunate to be on level terms. After taking the lead, Ardley had looked the better team, and Thame’s defence looked shaky every time the ball was played into their area. It appeared obvious that changes need to be made, and Thame manager Ben Williams reacted by bringing on centre-back Leo Galpin and moving Dan West into central midfield. Ethan Lack was the unfortunate sacrifice, despite having been one of Thame’s more effective players in the first half.
Thame immediately looked a more potent side. Daniel saw a shot from the edge of the area well saved by Roberts, coming after McConnell had headed away Deacon’s cross before West could head home.
However, Thame were soon ahead after Thorne’s free-kick from half-way was headed across goal for Daniel to volley back across goal from close range into the opposite top corner. It was now 2-1 with 51 minutes on the clock.
Ardley had hardly time to catch their breath when Daniel took the ball past Casbierd, ran away from Inyang and crossed to West just inside the Ardley area, whose volley was superbly pushed away by Roberts. Unfortunately for Ardley, Brown was following up and slammed the rebound into the roof of the net. 3-1 after 53 minutes.
Osborne-Ricketts then committed a bad foul on Tutton in front of the Thame bench, who predictably reacted, but the referee kept his cards in his pocket.
The game now became scrappy, and Ardley were struggling to find a way back into the game. The referee though, was now having a much better game, and played several good advantages.
However, Thame looked to have put the game to bed with a fourth goal. The Ardley defence stood motionless as a Tutton free-kick was delivered into the danger zone, and Daniel slid in to sweep the ball past Roberts from close range for his second goal of the game. 4-1 with 69 minutes played.
The game started to fizzle out. Ardley substitute Oli Orzechowski shot harmlessly over from long range then Thame substitute Tamplin was tripped just outside the Ardley area, from which West curled the free-kick around the defensive wall but wide of the post.
With 13 minutes remaining, Tamplin was released down the Thame left-wing and his square ball was met first time by the advancing West, and with the crowd expecting the net to be bulging, the ball went inches wide.
Lewthwaite and Tutton exchanged passes to put Daniel in space on the right wing, and both Louis and Lewthwaite challenged for the cross towards the far post, but the referee awarded a foul to the overworked Ardley defence.
Gabbidon Senior tried to reply for Ardley with a run from the half-way line towards the edge of the Thame area, but he could only slice his shot well wide. However, it was Thame who looked the more likely to score the next goal, and Daniel played a nice pass for Lewthwaite to run onto but the shot across goal went a couple of feet wide.
The referee played another good advantage when Tutton was fouled but won the ball, and Lewthwaite played the ball to Daniel, who ran into the Ardley area and unselfishly played the square pass to leave Louis with a tap-in, but the veteran smashed the ball over the bar from 8 yards for an incredible miss. Louis though redeemed himself in the last minute by heading on Crowther's long ball to put Lewthwaite clear and put the ball over the advancing keeper to finishing the scoring. 5-1 after 89 minutes.
In between Noka and Orzechowski had shot wide for Ardley. The last action of the game saw James make a good run into the Thame area but Galpin denied him with a good sliding tackle, and Noka sent the loose ball high over the bar.
At the final whistle, Thame could celebrate their third consecutive Senior Cup and their higher quality told in the end. However, Ardley were the better side in the opening 45 minutes, and the final scoreline was a little harsh on their efforts.
Link To Online Programme : https://heyzine.com/flip-book/62e2790815.html
Thame United : Crowther – Thorne ( Lucey ), West ( Lewthwaite ), Murray, Stranks – Brown ( Tamplin ), Riddick, Lack ( Galpin ), Tutton – Deacon ( Louis ), Daniel
Ardley United : Roberts – Benjamin ( Gabbidon Jr ), McConnell, Inyang, Casbierd ( Courtney ) – Noka, Walton ( Orzechowski ), Gabbidon Sr, Njogu, Osborne-Ricketts ( James ) – Odhiambo ( Rawlinson )
Lewis Gabbidon jnr is not the son of Lewis Gabbidon snr.
ReplyDeleteThank you, this has now been edited
ReplyDelete