Draw with Leaders

Long time league leaders Thame came to East Park Farm needing four points for the title and knowing that a win against Woodley and results elsewhere going their way would see them crowned champions.

However, Town had different ideas and gave an outstanding first half performance opening the scoring on seven minutes and only being denied from extending their lead due to outstanding goal keeping by Thame’s Lee Orkney.

A ball played in from the right saw Carl Davies holding off the challenge of two defenders to steer home from close range as Town took the match to Thame, who struggled to get to grips with the tempo of Woodley’s play that saw Luke Williams denied by Orkney diving at full stretch to palm the goal bound shot for a corner wide Davies seeing his header parried at point blank range.

Heartened by Orkney’s performance Thame enjoyed the closing stages of the half but rarely trouble Town’s back four ably led by man of the match Matt Belcher. What action there was in Town’s penalty area was comfortably dealt with by Craig Beales when he caught on his goal line under pressure from Adam Stallwood and punching clear a corner in the last minute.

The second half saw Woodley standing firm with Beales again showing safe handling while Town played more on the counter attack. Belcher enjoyed a good run on sixty minutes but his low cross to the far post evaded every one.

Stallwood shot wide as Thame exerted pressure and Luke Ricketts headed wide at Town’s far post but still Town looked dangerous as Chris Hatton ran from his own half, having received Jim Nightingale’s header clearance, to draw Orkney put his pass could not fine the advancing Williams while Davies wasted a free kick on the edge of Thame penalty area.

Thame continued to press and Richard Thomas was penalised outside Town’s penalty area. The resulting free kick was only cleared for a corner, from which Mark Jones was allowed unchallenged to head the equaliser with seven minutes remaining.

Town responded immediately but it was Thame who came closest to snatching the points when Beales had a palm Ricketts free kick away from the top left hand corner for a free kick in the final minute.

The draw means that only Wokingham & Emmbrook have done the double over Woodley this season and leaves the team in fourth place with the visit of Newbury this Saturday.

Beales, Nunn, Belcher (Wilder), Hiscock, Nightingale, Thomas, Hatton, Baxter, Fairchild, Davies, L Williams, Subs Not Used: Varndell, Smith, Green