Southern League Division One Central
ASM Stadium, Thame
Admission: £8.00
Programme: Online Only , Free Printed Teamsheet
Attendance: 112
With train journeys along the south coast again disrupted due to engineering works this weekend, I decided to head northwards instead to tick off my penultimate ground in the Southern League Division One Central with another trip into Oxfordshire.
The ASM Stadium is about two miles from the nearest train station, Haddenham & Thame Parkway, and although buses do regularly ply the route, I decided to walk, opting for a countryside route along the Miller's Way rather than walking along the main road with no footpath, taking about 45 minutes, and crossing the border from Buckinghamshire into Oxfordshire en route. The Stadium, located on the northern edge of Thame, is part of the large Meadow View Park football complex, opened in 2010 at a cost of just over £3 million, containing several grass and plastic pitches, as well as a secondary full size grass pitch with hard standing, dugouts and a metallic stand. On approaching the main football ground, the rear wall of the building containing the clubhouse, changing rooms and the main stand has a large television screen attached to it, a most unusual feature for a Step 4 non league ground, with plenty of picnic tables in place to watch the televised action from (in today's case, Tottenham completing a 0-4 win at Leeds on BT Sport). There are turnstile blocks either side of the building, although only one was open today, and printed team sheets were available free of charge on entry. The facilities along this side are impressive and very easy on the eye, with the stand stretching most of the length containing four rows of seating, and a row along the back for standing. Vertical wooden panels along the rear wall above the seating enhance the appearance. The seated area is set some way back from the pitch, but at least the view is unimpeded. A tea bar hatch is also located to the side of the seated area. There is hard standing along the other three sides of the ground, with a metallic stand for standing located behind the end closest to the entrance. It is a spacious, very well maintained and functional ground with plenty of identity, and although there is constant traffic noise, the frequent appearances of red kites circling above make for a very pleasant sight.
Thame are having a decent season, up in seventh place in the table following 14 wins and seven draws from their 29 league games, and are four points adrift of the play-offs, but have played a game more. Hertford are facing a battle to survive in the division, in 18th place in the 20 club division, following six wins and five draws from their 29 league games, but although they have a ten point buffer between the two clubs in the relegation zone, Wantage have two games in hand, and Hertford’s current 18th place would leave them at risk of having to contest the relegation/promotion play-off matches - they are three points adrift of certain safety and have played a game more than Kempston Rovers. Hertford were in poor form as well, losing 5 of their last six league games. When the two clubs met in the reverse fixture back in late November, the game finished in a 1-1 draw.
On a bright and sunny afternoon but with a chilly breeze, this game certainly did not go to form. The visitors had the better of the first half, as Thame seemed to be rather disjointed and sloppy in their play at times, much to the frustration of their coaching team. And Hertford opened the scoring on 33 minutes when a quickly taken free kick fed Max Hudson in the left side of the penalty area, he crossed the ball low and Ben Weyman struck the ball past the keeper. It was a lead they quite comfortably held onto up to half time.
Whatever was said in the Thame dressing room at half time paid instant dividends as his side got back on level terms within 30 seconds of the restart when the ball was dinked in from the right by Linton Goss and headed home by Ryan Blake. Thame were certainly much improved in the second half, and they had a great chance to take the lead on 62 minutes when the ball was crossed low from the right and Dan West stabbed it goalwards from close range, but straight at the keeper's legs. But they did take the lead on 82 minutes when Linton Goss broke clear of the defence before firing the ball low across the keeper and inside the far post. It was a crushing blow for the visitors who were still playing well in the second half, belying their lowly league status and form. But in the end, they did get the point their play deserved when they equalised just as the game entered added on time when, following a perhaps slightly generous free kick awarded to them just outside of the penalty area, the ball eventually ended at the feet of Obinna Ogbonna to the left of goal and he drilled the ball powerfully past the Thame keeper from close range. A point apiece was a fair outcome on balance, and another point for each side in their battles at either end of the table, which meant that Thame are now five points adrift of the play-offs, while Hertford closed the gap from certain safety to two points, and although Colney Heath below them won to reduce the gap to eight points, they have played the same number of games, while Wantage lost 0-7 at Harlow. But above all, their performance today would surely give them great encouragement in their battle for survival ahead.
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