September 20, 2025
After watching their reserves last Saturday, it was now the turn of Thame United’s 1st team to be featured in these diaries. Today was a cup-tie between two step 4 sides, with Thame playing in the Southern League Division One Central, whilst Winchester were in the South Division. If the scores were level after 90 minutes, the tie would be decided on penalties.
A combination of the quirks of the fixture computer and the luck of cup draws meant this would be only Thame’s second home match of the season, and the first since August 12th.
Previous Meetings
Thame and Winchester had never played a league match, but had been drawn against each other twice before in the FA Trophy. In 2019/20, a 3-3 draw was played at Winchester before Thame won the replay 5-3. In 2021/22, Thame again progressed after a 3-2 home win. If the previous results were any indicator, this could be a high scoring encounter, and Winchester would no doubt be hoping it would be a case of third time lucky !
Three of the Winchester players involved in the 2021 cup-tie were still playing for the club, defender Danny King, midfielder Ollie Griggs and centre-forward Ollie Balmer. Their goal-keeper that day, Ryan Price, is now one of the first-team coaches. In contrast, Thame had 5 players from that day still playing for them, defenders Finlay Murray and Lewis Thorne, midfielders Jack Tutton and Dan West ( who was one of the goalscorers ), and winger Greg Hackett.
Thame United This Season
These diaries covered Thame’s first pre-season friendly, when they lost to step 5 Abingdon United. After their sixth placed finish last season, their season to-date had been disappointing and they sat bottom of Division One Central with four losses from four league games. The one home game had been a 1-4 defeat at the hands of Leighton Town, whilst on the road they had gone down 0-2 at Hertford, 1-2 at Leverstock Green and last Saturday 3-4 at Hadley.
Thame had been more successful in the cup competitions. In the FA Cup, a 3-1 victory was recorded at step 5 Clevedon Town, but they exited the competition with a 1-2 reverse at step 3 Chertsey Town. In the previous round of the FA Trophy, Thame travelled to Portsmouth to play step 4 Moneyfields of the Isthmian South Central Division and equalised in the 89th minute to draw 2-2, and then won the penalty shoot-out.
Midfielders Mark Riddick and Curtis Brown were Thame’s leading scorers in the league with 2 goals each, but ex-Oxford City attacking midfielder Louis Walsh had scored three times in the cups.
With only one home match played, Thame’s average attendance was the 219 who attended the game against Leighton !
Winchester City
Winchester is a cathedral city and the county town of Hampshire. Its population is approximately 50,000. The cathedral is the final resting place of Jane Austin and was the subject of a novelty hit single by The New Vaudeville Band in 1966 !
My visits to the city had been confined to 6 mid-week cricket matches in the late 80s/early 1990s against Old Symondians/St Cross Symondians at the Green Jackets Ground, although on one occasion I travelled down early to visit the city centre and the cathedral.
According to the history on its website, the city’s football club were founded in 1891 but the club’s badge and crest confusingly show 1884 !
Apart from two season between 1971 and 1973 when they played in the Southern League, Winchester had played in the Hampshire Leagues for over 100 years until they won promotion to the Wessex League for the 2003/04 season. The Wessex league was won in their first season in it but promotion to the Southern league was denied on ground grading criteria. The consolation was winning the 2003/04 FA Vase, beating AFC Sudbury 2-0 in the final played at Birmingham City’s St Andrews Ground.
Winchester were finally accepted into the Southern League Division One South-West after winning the 2005/06 Wessex League but had since suffered two relegations back to the Wessex League, before returning to the Southern League after finishing runners-up at the end of the 2014/15 season.
After a play-off defeat in 2015/16 and being in 4th place when both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons were terminated, Winchester finally won promotion to step 3 by beating Bristol Manor Farm 4-1 at home in the play-off final in front of a crowd of 1,025. However, after three seasons in the Southern League Premier South, Winchester were relegated on goal difference at the end of last season after a final day 1-1 draw at home to Taunton Town in front of a crowd of 784 was not enough to overhaul Bracknell, as Tiverton leapfrogged Winchester with a final day victory over already relegated Marlow.
Home is the 4,500 capacity City Ground, and the club’s nickname is The Citizens. Winchester’s average attendance for the 2024/25 season was 378.
Winchester City This Season
Winchester had made a good start to the season back at step 4, being in third place in the South Division with a 4-0-1 record. The one loss came at Westbury United ( 0-1 ), but wins had been registered over Hartpury ( H 2-1 ), Inkberrow ( H 3-1 ), Didcot ( A 3-1 ) and Portishead ( H 4-0 ). The average home league attendance was 310 so far.
After beating division rivals Bashley after a replay, Winchester’s FA Cup run ended at the next hurdle with a 0-1 loss in a replay to Fareham Town. In the FA Trophy, another opponent from their league, Frome Town, had been despatched 2-0 in Somerset.
The Citizens leading goalscorer in league matches was Balmer with 6 goals. Ex-Sutton United and Havant & Waterlooville forward Tommy Wright had twice found the net.
Midfielder Jez Bedford had previously played for Poole Town and Wimborne, striker Bradley Waters had joined from Bemerton Heath Harlequins, and forward Conor Lynch played several seasons for Hungerford.
Captain and centre-back Callum Brackley had played for Weymouth and Dorchester, defender Tom Bragg was ex-Salisbury and Dorchester Town, and ex-Dorchester and Bemerton Heath Harlequins midfielder Dom Panesar-Dower is presumed known as Monty !
Watching Winchester City
Fatbear had seen Winchester play twice before, when they were in the Southern League in the early 1970s. In December 1971 they played a 3-3 draw at Crawley Town, with the game being played on a typically muddy pitch at Crawley’s Town Mead ground. My memory may be unreliable but I believe Winchester took an early 2-0 before falling behind, but grabbed an equaliser near the end.
In November 1972 it was a 1-1 draw at Crawley, and I have zero recollection of the game, but I noted on the programme that left-back Ian McGonagle scored for Crawley and Smart for Winchester.
Matchday Information
According to AA Route Planner, the journey from Winchester to Thame is 66 miles and should normally take a hour and 20 minutes up the A34. It looked like around 25 Citizens supporters had made the journey.
The forecasted rain for the 15.00 kick-off had stayed away and the temperature was around 18 degrees.
Entrance to the game was £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, £3 for Under 16s, whilst under 5s went in for free. An online programme had been produced for the match.
Winchester made three changes to the side that beat Portishead, with Balmer, Griggs and Callum Baughan replacing Buckley, Bedford and Matt Neale. Thame also made three from the side that lost at Hadley, with the return of West, Walsh and Harry Alexander. However, their formation had a makeshift look to it with West playing centre-back, Brown at right-back and Hackett playing as a centre-forward. Thame also had only three substitutes on the bench.
Winchester were playing in their kit of broad blue and black stripped shirts with blue shorts and socks, whilst Thame were in their usual red and black shirts.
Matchday Report
Winchester kicked-off attacking the ring road end, but the first action saw a Thame long throw-in headed away by Bragg.
There was little in the way of goalmouth action in the opening stages with the two most notable incidents being two refereeing decisions ( or non-decisions ). In the 8th minute, Baughan made a nasty looking stamp on the foot of Walsh and the ball rolled to Hackett who stopped waiting for the free-kick to be awarded. However, no whistle was blown, Winchester took possession but were only able to give away a throw-in.
Two minutes later Brown made an obvious foul throw, and both sides waited for the referee to instead give the throw-in to Winchester. Again, the referee allowed play to continue so Brown played the ball, leading to the referee to award an indirect free-kick to Winchester. The kick was taken quickly but Thame regained possession.
With 12 minutes played, West failed to cut out a long ball out of the Winchester defence and Lynch ran to the right-hand byline, but his cross was poor and an easy for keeper Crowther to dive onto.
The initial impression of Winchester was that they were very mouthy and quick to complain about every decision that went again them, even the very obvious fouls. As if to underline the point, Dan Bradshaw was shown the first yellow card of the game in the 15th minute for excessive comments when the referee ruled that a Winchester free-kick had been taken at least 10 yards further forward from where the offence took place so needed to be retaken.
The first half-decent move of the game saw Alexander and Jenson Wright, the ex-Didcot midfielder and 1980s sounding DJ, combine to put Hackett clear, but an offside flag was raised. A minute later, Waters ran past Brown close to the left-hand byline only to be pulled back by the Thame player, who was also shown a yellow card. Balmer took the free-kick to the near post, which Brown blocked and Callum Hall cleared.
With 18 minutes on the clock, the first shot on target was registered, but Bradshaw’s long-range effort rolled gently through to Crowther.
The first real chance of the game fell to Winchester a minute later. Thame had three or four chances to clear a ball into their area, but failed to do so. The ball fell to King, whose left-footed shot from around 12 yards was brilliantly saved by Crowther diving to his left to push away for a corner. Winchester took a short corner, and then crossed towards the near post where Bragg stuck out a foot to flick on, but fortunately for Thame the ball went straight to Crowther, who made the catch.
At this point some light rain started to fall as Winchester continued to press, but after a quick throw-in enabled Lynch to run clear on the right wing, his inside pass to Waters was meet by such a heavy first touch the ball went off for a goal-kick.
Lynch then made a hilarious appeal for a penalty as he fell to the floor after a long-ball went through to Crowther.
Thame were able to play several short passes around the edge of the visitors’ penalty area, but when Alexander was teed up for a shot on goal, his effort went several yards high. Shortly after Thame lost possession near half-way and Bradshaw attempted to play a defence splitting ball, but West made a superb sliding interception to stop the attack.
Balmer made an ugly looking foot-up challenge on Brown, and predictably all the Winchester players complained when the free-kick was awarded. Tutton played the free-kick towards the far post but Riddick’s header bounced a couple of feet wide of the post.
With 29 minutes on the clock Waters went rolling around on the floor after being fouled but quickly made a remarkable recovery without needing any treatment. A dangerous free-kick was headed off for a corner to Winchester, from which Bragg mysteriously crashed to the floor with no-one apparently close to him. Winchester reworked possession and Waters sent a floated cross from the left to beyond the far post where Hall’s attempted header away from goal went in completely the wrong direction, and Crowther made a brave diving save to push the ball away from a Winchester attacker.
King slid into the back leg of Hackett and received a yellow card for the nasty foul, but Bradshaw still felt the need to make some comments to the linesman for not helping the referee out.
A potentially pivotal incident occurred in the 35th minute. Waters got to the byline but delivered another poor cross. Balmer gathered the loose ball and put in a good cross from the left wing to the near post where keeper Crowther and Lynch collided as both went for the ball. The ball went off for a goal-kick but the Winchester players and crowd behind the goal screamed loudly for a penalty. The referee ignored the appeals, and Crowther remained on the floor requiring treatment. After six minutes he gingerly left the pitch with what looked to be a shoulder injury, and midfielder Tutton had to take his place between the sticks as Thame had no substitute keeper. Instead, teenager Tyrae Njogu, on a season long loan from Oxford City, came on as the rain got heavier.
With two minutes of normal first half time left to play, a long ball from Winchester should have been gathered by Tutton, but Thame centre-back Luke Tingey was taking no chances and put the ball out for a corner. The set-piece was swung under the Thame crossbar, but Tutton was able to punch away as far as Panesar-Dower, whose shot from 20 yards went 20 yards wide.
A long ball out of the Thame defence saw King push the ball past his on-rushing keeper to give a corner to Thame. Winchester failed to adequately clear the corner and the ball fell to Alexander, who skipped past one defender and then won another corner. This was a cue for Bradshaw to make more furious complaints against a very obvious, correct decision.
With the game entering the fourth minute of added time, Hackett was at least two yards offside as he ran onto a long ball, cut inside to his left foot, but keeper Tommy Scott saved his effort from 10 yards with an outstretched foot. At least this time the Winchester players and supporters were justified in their criticisms of the linesman.
A minute later Thame broke again and Alexander found Hackett in space on the left-hand side, and after cutting inside this time onto his right foot, Hackett’s shot from just inside the area wrong footed Scott, who stood motionless as the ball rolled inside the near post. 1-0 after 45+5 minutes
At the end of an awful first half, Thame had a one goal lead. Frankly, they had been terrible, but Winchester’s cynical approach deserved nothing. The spectator in front of me suggested they should be called “Wingechester”, which seemed very appropriate, and I can’t claim credit for it !
The Winchester coach was clearly dissatisfied with his side’s performance and made three changes at the interval.
Thame could have doubled their lead in the first minute of the second period when Baughan failed to cut out a pass and Walsh collected the ball to run into the Winchester area, but he allowed the ball to run away from him and Scott was able to dive on the ball.
Straight away, Winchester attacked down the left wing as Reggie Hodan crossed for Wright to head into the bottom corner from 8 yards. Whilst two of the substitutes had made an instant impact for Wiinchester, a recognised keeper would have been expected to have made the save low at his near post. Anyway, it was now 1-1 with 47 minutes played
Thame almost immediate hit back. Alexander made space on the right wing and played an inside pass to Hackett, whose shot was blocked for a corner. The set-piece floated over the Winchester defenders for West to head goalwards, but Baughan cleared off the line.
Winchester broke quickly, and the linesman on the main stand side again missed an offside of at least 2 yards, but the Winchester attack ended with Wright winning a corner off Hall, but the corner was overhit and sailed off for a goal-kick.
By now the rain had more or less stopped, and from another Winchester corner, King’s thumping header went narrowly over the bar.
The game descended almost into a farce as first, Bradshaw pathetically fell to the floor appealing for a free-kick, shortly followed by Panesar-Dower attempting to do the same. Hodan then went easily to ground inside the penalty area and screamed for a penalty as an overhit ball went through to Tutton.
Thame though were now starting to play well and were stringing some passes together. A superb through ball from Walsh split the square Winchester defence and Alexander ran on to the ball, rounded the keeper and side footed into the net from a reasonably tight angle. It was a fabulous finish, and Thame now led 2-1 after 65 minutes.
Winchester attacked straight from the restart but Tommy Wright’s shot was blocked by Hall, and West cleared. However, Thame were getting on top, and after Jenson Wright had a shot from inside the area blocked, he was able to prod the rebound to Hackett, but the curling shot was straight at the keeper.
The Winchester supporters behind the goal had another reasonable complaint when Tutton appeared to drop a cross behind the goal-line for a corner, but the linesman was again not in a position to make a decision, and play continued.
Another flowing move from Thame saw Walsh release Alexander on the right, and the low ball across the 18-yard line was met by Jenson Wright, but his first time shot flashed a foot or two wide of the post.
Winchester substitute Lewis Toms was the next to see yellow after a bad foul on Hackett. Winchester though created the next chance of the match but Barron’s 20-yard attempt produced an unexpectedly good save from Tutton, diving to his right to push away.
Another potentially crucial incident arose in the 76th minute. Brown went on a surging run from his own area to midway inside the Winchester half but he slightly over-ran the ball, enabling Jamison to make a clearance as Brown clattered into him fractionally late. The Winchester supporters cried for a second yellow card for Brown, but the referee was unmoved, probably deeming this to be an unavoidable coming together, and his cards remained in his pocket, but it was possibly a lucky escape for Brown.
Shortly after Balmer fell theatrically inside the Thame penalty area as a corner flew well over his head, but again the referee was not fooled.
Thame were looking the more likely side to score next, and Walsh made a run from halfway to have only the keeper to beat, but agonisingly for the home supporters put the ball inches wide of the far post. Thame then nicely moved the ball from left to right, for Alexander to shoot a couple of feet over.
With 7 minutes of normal time remaining, Tommy Walsh was fouled wide on the left, but Balmer’s free-kick was meet by Bragg’s backward glancing header, which drifted narrowly over the Thame crossbar.
Thame’s passing game was again to the fore as they worked the ball to Hackett on the left, but his shot from the edge of the area was blocked. Winchester looked to break, but Njogu made a superb tackle to win the ball back for the home side, and when the ball was fed to Hackett, a right footed shot curled into the far bottom corner of the net, with again keeper Cross rooted on his line, to clinch the cup-tie. 3-1 with 86 minutes on the clock.
Winchester looked a beaten side, and Thame full-back Hall went on a mazy run before being bodychecked by Bragg, who became the latest Winchester player to enter the referee’s notebook. Hackett sent the free-kick yards over the bar.
With the match in added time Winchester substitute Ashton Palmier kicked out at Hackett whilst lying on the floor after the ball had been cleared, leading to a reaction from the Thame player and some handbags. The referee perhaps bottled out of taking any sanctions against both players, indicating that time was up, but then strangely allowed play to continue for another 5 minutes.
There was still time for Tommy Wright to shoot wide, and then have another attempt blocked by Hall, who recovered to win the loose ball and clear.
At the final whistle, Thame deservedly won 3-1 to move into the next round. After a poor first half, they improved in the second period and were much the better team. A special mention should be given to the Thame back four, who after Winchester had equalised, gave emergency keeper Jack Tutton an almost armchair ride, with one supporter saying he actually was sitting in a deckchair with a cold drink and a cigar !
Winchester were a huge disappointment. Not only was their overall play pretty dismal, but their very cynical approach with constant complaining to the referee, feeble attempts to win free-kicks and penalties, and committing nasty fouls, made them very hard to like. Frankly, they got what they deserved but perhaps this the modern game, even at step 4……………
Finally, a mention to the referee Robert Alderton, who I thought had an excellent game despite what the Winchester players, officials and supporters may have thought.
Thame United : Crowther ( Njogu ) – Brown, Tingey, West, Hall – Tutton, Wright, Riddick, Walsh ( Khan ) – Alexander, Hackett
Winchester City : Scott – Baughan ( Toms ), King, Bragg, Jamison – Waters ( Barron ), Bradshaw, Panesar-Dower ( Palmier ), Griggs ( Hodan ), Balmer – Lynch ( Wright )
No comments:
Post a Comment