Category: Sports News

FOR the second season, three proud members of Chinnor Rugby Club have been selected to play for the England Deaf team.
They are Matt Woodward, Tony Wilkinson and Rob Hill.

LEAGUE GAME – Saturday, March 8 – Thame United 2, Marlow United 0 – Match report:
Thame United comfortably defeated Marlow United on Saturday. The visitors, who are second in the league, had only been beaten three times this season so a Thame win seemed unlikely. Perhaps encouraged by their mid week cup win, Thame delivered one of their best performances this season and as a result moved up to 7th league place.

First team goalkeeper Paul Searl injured a finger during the mid week game and so reserve team keeper Mike Higgs took his place and had an excellent game. Searl, who was on the bench, came on half way through the second half, and played well as a striker.

The opening exchanges were fairly even, but then the visitors had their best spell of the game and created some good chances. Higgs however made some good saves and, after about half an hour, the home side started to gain the upper hand. Thame were playing with a strong wind behind them, which in the 32nd minute denied them a goal. Luke Ricketts played a good ball to Nathan Jack on the left and Jack intelligently lobbed the advancing keeper from about 30 yards. On a still day the ball would have ended up in the net, but the wind took it and it came down to hit the top of the crossbar. The teams went in for half time with the game goalless.

Thame came out fired up for the second half and immediately mounted a series of attacks. Their first goal came 5 minutes after the restart when, following some good work, Ben Connelly found Matt Leach on the right. Leach hit a low cross across the goalmouth, which Ricketts knocked in, off the goalkeeper, from close range. Thame continued the pressure and the half was 25 minutes old before the visitors forced a save from Higgs. The home team were now in control and the visiting keeper was kept busy. Thame?s second goal came with 5 minutes to play. Following two blocked shots on he left, the ball was played to Connelly, in space, at the edge of the box. He hit a superb well-placed shot, which sailed into the top right corner. A few minutes later Thame had an opportunity to make it three when Chris Watkins beat his man and made a run on the left before delivering a good cross to Jack, but his header was high.

Thame, who were still attacking when the final whistle blew, played with an understanding rarely seen this season and with so many good performances that it was impossible to award the Man of the Match to one person.

Thame United: Michael Higgs. Thompson, Watkins, Graves, Hocking, Cowan, Connelly (Mountford), Rhodes, Leach (Searl), Jack, Ricketts.

Thame do not have a game next Saturday. Their next fixture as away to Henley Town on the evening of 18th March.

LEAGUE GAME – March 1, Thame United 1, Ascot United 3; Match report:
ASCOT United earned their win on Saturday. They were by no means the best team that Thame have faced this season and an in-form Thame side would have brushed Ascot aside. Thame however did not play well, and despite the return from Injury of leading Goal scorer Nathan Jack, seem to be going through a period where they to have lost the ability to score goals.

Ascot?s first goal came four minutes after the start. Thame appeared to have prevented an Ascot chance when Matt Higgs collected the ball at the edge of the Thame penalty area. Visiting winger Steve Curtis had other ideas as he cheekily took the ball from the normally dependable Higgs, turned, and then confidently beat goalkeeper Paul Searl from 10 yards. Higgs however redeemed himself on 15 minutes when he cleared a goal bound header off the goal line.

Although possession was fairly even, Thame rarely troubled the visiting goalkeeper. The visitor?s second goal came after 19 minutes when Richard Mills collected the ball just inside the Thame half, beat his marker, and ran at the Thame Goal before hitting a well placed shot from 15 yards. In the 32nd minute it was Thame 0, Ascot 3 when the unfortunate Higgs was again robbed of the ball. This time it was passed to Sam Dennison whose miss-hit cross beat Searl to finish in the back of the Thame goal. Manager Mark West decided it was not going to be Higgs?s day, so he brought him off and sent substitute Matt Graves on. Thame went in for half time loosing by three goals and with the visiting goalkeeper largely unthreatened.

The second half followed a similar pattern and Searl was forced to make some good saves to prevent the deficit from getting any worse. Thame?s goal came in the 84th minute when, just after a Thame attack seemed to have broken down, Adam Rhodes hit a cross from the right which Graeme Catlin meet with a superb glancing header that found the top corner of the visitor?s net.

Thame United: Searl, Thompson, Watkins (Leach), Higgs (Graves), Hocking, Cowan, Connelly, Rhodes, Catlin, Jack, Ricketts.

Thame are at home to 2nd placed Marlow United next Saturday 8th March.

A ten year-old Thame United fan plans to cycle to the team’s last match of the season, to show just how far he and other fans have to travel for home matches!
George Collingwood is going to cycle to Wallingford on the morning of Thame’s last match of the season, where Thame United have sometimes had to travel for ‘home’ games, throughout the past three seasons. (Some games have been played at Aylesbury’s ground.)
George said: “I am going to cycle the 18 miles from Thame to Wallingford, on April 26, the morning of the last match of the season, to highlight the distance that we are having to travel to watch our local team. We shall be playing Henley Town. I am also hoping to raise

LEAGUE GAME: Tuesday, February 26 – Thame United 0, Penn & Tylers Green 1 – MATCH REPORT
Tuesday evening?s game against Penn & Tylers Green was a game that Thame did not deserve to loose. Normally ball possession counts and Thame had far more possession than their opponents. Time after time however, attacks broke down or were snuffed out as they got in or near the penalty area, and on the occasions where goal-scoring opportunities were created, they were not taken.

The game saw the welcome return of Stuart Barr who was in the starting line-up, and Matt Graves who came on as a substitute.

The only goal of the match came after three minutes with Penn?s first attack. The Thame defence failed to deal with a cross from the right and the ball fell to visiting winger, Ben Sturgess, who had the space to neatly lob the ball over Theme goalkeeper, Paul Searl, from 20 yards. The home side countered and for the remainder of the first half, Thame?s goal was rarely threatened as they mounted a series of attacks on the visitor?s goal with shots from Sam Cowan, Luke Ricketts, Adam Rhodes, Stuart Barr and Ben Connelly. Following a corner Dave Hocking was unlucky to see his goal bound shot blocked.

Possession in first part of the second half was more even as Penn sought to increase their lead and the crowd were treated to a period of fast, entertaining, end-to-end football. With about 20 minutes to play, sensing that one goal would be enough, the visitors pulled back and packed their defence as Thame struggled to find a way through. It became clear that it was not going to be Thame?s night as Both Ricketts and Rhodes missed chances, which they would normally have taken. Just before the final whistle blew goalkeeper Searl joined the siege but it was Penn who, perhaps luckily, took the points.

Thame United: Searl, Thompson, Watkins (Graves), Higgs, Hocking, Cowan, Connelly, Rhodes, Catlin (Skiller), Barr, Ricketts.

Thame are at home to Ascot United next Saturday 1st March. On Tuesday 4th Flackwell Heath visit Hithercroft Stadium (Wallingford) for a Soccer Kits Supplementary Cup fixture.

Chinnor 1st XV 66 vs. Wallingford 1st XV 7 – Oxfordshire Cup semi-final – Saturday, February 23 – MATCH REPORT
AFTER going close on two occasions, Chinnor opened their account with a try from Pip Seymour in the 18th minute. An excellent conversion from the touchline by Ben Hewitt turned the try into a goal. Hewitt orchestrated the Chinnor three-quarter attack with panache all afternoon. He took the ball at pace and changed the angles of attack to release the speedy wingers outside him. He was ably abetted by Tim Sutton, his half-back partner, who made a most impressive home debut.

Both centres also played no small part in ensuring that the game was spread wide at every available opportunity. Tries then came at regular intervals for the home side although Wallingford responded with a lot of guts and determination. The dancing feet of Alan Cawston, in at hooker, took him over the line for the next Chinnor score. With skipper Matt Hutchings going over from a rolling maul, and then Seymour and Phil Huxford rounding off three-quarter moves at pace, and Hewitt converting all three tries. Chinnor had a 33 point cushion at the interval.

With Chinnor now playing into the breeze, Wallingford would have hoped to have fared better in the second half. A Jaike Carter try after just two minutes into the second period dented these aspirations. Huxford then got his second try and with Hewitt converting, Wallingford was looking down the barrel. That they scored the next try from a tap penalty exemplified their ‘never say die’ spirit – although it has to be said that they were aided and abetted by a series of successive penalty awards leading up to the try from a referee who was a law unto himself!

The try by Johnny Collett, converted by Ralph Smith, was however just reward for their efforts. Martyn O’Mahoney then got in on the act with a well deserved try and with Seymour and Huxford both notching up their hat-tricks with Hewitt converting all three, Chinnor were in the final.

A quick summary would indicate that Wallingford, who played with considerable spirit throughout, was unable to come to terms with the pace of the game.

LEAGUE MATCH: Saturday, February 16 – Thame United 1, Eton Wick 0 – Match report:
THAME United defeated Eton Wick 1-5 when they visited them in August. The ?Wick?, who have not won a league game this season, are bottom of the league. Thame, on the other hand, are mid-table so a home win seemed a near certainty. Thame won but it took 87 frustrating minutes for them to find the back of the visitor?s net.

From the kick off, Thame had more possession and created more chances, but their finishing was off form and, except from saving a Lee Thompson volley, the visiting goalkeeper had little to do during a scrappy first half.

The second half was better and after 10 minutes Luke Ricketts hit the post with a shot from an acute angle. Apart from the occasional break it was one way traffic but Thame seemed unable to penetrate the visitors’ defence. Sam Cowan missed a chance when, following a corner he hit a high shot from the edge of the box.

With 15 minutes to play, Graeme Catlin hit a goal-bound shot which forced a great save from the visiting keeper. This seemed to spark Thame into action and they increased the pressure on the visitors’ goal. Both Ben Connelly and Mark West who had brought himself on) had half chances before Thame?s long awaited goal came.
With three minutes remaining Ben Connelly made a run to the right by-line and pulled the ball back for Adam Rhodes to confidently fire home from 10 yards. Game over!

Thame?s goal was rarely threatened and the home side were still attacking when the final whistle blew.

Thame United: Searl, Thompson, Watkins (Mountfield), Higgs, Hocking, Cowan, Connelly, Rhodes, Skiller (West), Catlin, Ricketts.

Chinnor RFC 20 pts, Old Patesians 10pts; Home game February 16; Match report:
CHINNOR made hard work in overcoming an average team. The kick-off being brought to 1.15pm hardly helped their cause as they took the field with just a smattering of spectators present. Kingsey Road resembled the Marie Celeste; it was that quiet.
Chinnor took the lead in the seventh minute, when Ben Hewitt entered the line at pace, to break through the Patesian and score unopposed. A fine conversion by Cathcart and it appeared that Chinnor were on their way. Two massive penalties from the reliable boot of Cathcart increased their lead, although in knocking over his second kick he strained a thigh muscle, which effectively ruled him out of the rest for the game. Chinnor were finding it difficult to inject any cohesive pattern to their game, with sloppy handling and a litany of handling errors being the order of the day. They did however add to their lead in the 35th minute with skipper, Matt Hutchins, going over from a rolling maul. A fine touchline conversion from Ben Hewitt, taking over the kicking duties from the injured Cathcart gave Chinnor a 20 point cushion at the interval.

The second half, from a Chinnor perspective, became increasingly more frustrating. Patesians, who were now playing with a lot of spirit, with their No.6 Gareth Betteridge and fly-half Adam Seager showing well, got a sniff that their cause was not a lost one. Tries by Mathew Shayle and Andrew Tew were well deserved and had Seager been less wayward with his kicking (he missed a penalty in front of the posts), the game could have got quite tense in the closing stages.

With points difference now looking to become an increasingly important feature in the promotion race with five games remaining, Chinnor will look on this result as a chance gone begging. It would not be an overstatement to suggest that they could have been more focused on the task at hand.

THIS year’s CPM Thame 10km road race will be held on Sunday June 29, starting at 9.30 am at the Thame Leisure Centre. Entry forms can be downloaded from the club?s website www.thamerunners.co.uk.
This year?s event will take in a larger section of the Phoenix Trail and will have electronic chip timing for the first time to ensure accurate timing of the 1,000 runners expected to take part.
The children?s fun run will be back as well as part of the 2008 event.

Reading 32 pts Chinnor 32 pts !!
ITS one thing turning up to find your opponents fielding nine current British Army players, six of whom are Fijians; its another for the home side to also arrange the weather for their imports! Blue skies and temperatures more akin to June meant ideal conditions for Chinnor’s away match with Reading on Saturday (Feb 09).

Chinnor were comfortably in front during the first quarter of the first half and in the opening salvo’s of the second, but on both occasions they allowed Reading back into the game. Although Reading took the lead as early as the third minute when powerful No.8, Ledau Jope, picked up from the base of the scrum and scored wide out, Chinnor were soon back in the hunt some seven minutes later.

A sharp threequarter move saw the ball reach Phil Huxford who turned on the gas to round his opposite number to score in the corner. A fine conversion by James Cathcart who also slotted a penalty, put Chinnor in the ascendancy. They then scored a superb try when Ben Hewitt carved an opening on Chinnor’s right, handed onto the ever supportive Grizz McQuire before the ball eventually found Darren Oxley to finish the move in the left hand corner.

This gave Chinnor a 12 point cushion which was almost instantly reduced when Karneli Vuadreu intercepted a pass in the middle of the park to go over unapposed. That he caught the ball behind him in making the interception leading to a suspicion that he might have been off-side. However Chinnor’s lead was reduced by 7 points. A trademark Pip Seymour try was next on the agenda when Chinnor moved the ball across the field allowing Seymour to chip ahead and win the chase for the touchdown. A fine conversion from wide out put Chinnor ahead 22 points to 12 at the half way mark.

With Cathcart kicking a penalty just after the interval, it appeared that Chinnor were in control. However, a piece of loose defence, when indeed Chinnor were on the attack, allowed centre Peceli Nacarnavuto in for the first of his three tries. A penalty from Alex Wallace made further inroads into the Chinnor lead and when Nacarnavuto went over for his second try and Wallace added the extras, Reading were in front. Chinnor came back, created space on the right and Jaike Carter scored. Another conversion from the touchline put Chinnor once more in the lead but a try by Nacarnavuto levelled the scores.

Try as they might in the closing stages, Chinnor could not get the score which would have clinched this hard fought game.

Chinnor worked hard for their tries but unfortunately gifted Reading a couple of scores, although one of these was highly debatable.

Let’s hope both the fine weather conditions of last Saturday and the players prevail for the Bracknell visit to Reading.

Chinnor First welcome Old Patesians next Saturday (16/02)- kick off 1.30pm, as the club captain is getting married.

Photo: James Cathcart who contributed in Chinnor’s battle against Reading last weekend (Saturday 09/02)