Category: Sports News

Chinnor RFC Seconds – Match Report – Home Leage Game against Barking Seconds – Saturday, September 23
Score: Chinnor 2nd, 21 Pts vs. Barking 2nd 31 Pts
Scorers
Tries: Tom Whelan x 2, Aaron Russell.
Conversions: Adam White x 3

THIS game was played by two good sides and in the spirit that all rugby games should be played – fairly but with no quarter given; the hits came in hard and it was played at a fast pace.

Barking?s 2nd team were a lot stronger than our Chinnor boys have been used to, with their 1st Team playing in National 2.
Chinnor were forced to defend well for the first 10 minutes, they then settled down and took the game to Barking but were very unlucky to concede a try against the run of play in the 25th minute. That didn?t stop Chinnor from putting pressure on them, and after some great forward play the ball went along the backs for Aaron Russell to score and then converted by Adam White.

With good rugby being played by both sides, the first half finished seven points each.

The second half started as the first half finished, with Chinnor taking the game to Barking and with some well worked forward play, Captain Tom Whelan drove over the line to score, again converted by White. The score was then 14pts to 7.
Chinnor’s lead was short lived as a missed tackle in the centre allowed Barking a soft try and the scores were level.
A few minutes later Chinnor made an error of judgement in their own 22, and the ball was turned over with no defence and another try was conceded.

With fifteen minutes to go, Matt Webster was penalised for holding and killing the ball in open play when he was not allowed to get back on his feet. He was not only penalised with a penalty in front of the posts but was also sin-binned for ten minutes and Chinnor were down to 14 men.

Barking capitalised on the man short by scoring another try giving them a lead of 31 points to 14. Chinnor never stopped attacking and Captain Marvel got his second try converted by White to close the gap to 21 points to 31.

Joe Winpenney had his first game since having an operation and made a big impact in the second team, so the props in the first team beware!

All fifteen players had good games with Pete Naylor and Rob Arthur coming up from the thirds to help out, a big thank you.

Chinnor seconds are really stepping up to this new league with no easy games. All players are trying to get in their respective 1st teams, which are national Three and above.
Man of the Match was Rob Fenwick.

Walter McGuicken

Bicester Town 4, Thame United, 0
League Match – 23/09/06
THIS uninspiring game saw Thame?s worse performance this season. As a result of injuries, holidays, and players going to university, Richard Searl was forced to field two untried players and to name both club chairman, Jake Collinge and himself as substitutes. The gambol could have paid off but Bicester are an experienced side and although Thame?s young side had them beat for pace, Bicester?s seasoned defence prevented them from using it. It was largely due to an excellent performance from goalkeeper, Paul Searl that Bicester did not score more.

There was little to choose between the sides during the first half hour. Thame?s best chance came after a good move, which saw Graham Jackson put newcomer Jordon Weaver through, but his 20-yard shot was just wide. Bicester went ahead on 30 minutes. Adam Ham hit a shot from the right that Searl blocked, but Hamp was allowed the time to collect the rebound and blast the ball past Searl from a tight angle. Ten minutes later Bicester?s Jody McKay met a corner unchallenged and headed home at the near post.

Bicester got their third goal 18 minutes into the second half when a cross-field pass found McKay, who finished comfortably from 10-yards. Two minutes later Dave Hocking misjudged a back pass to Searl which Hamp intercepted to make it four. Chairman Jake Collinge was called upon in the 90th minute after Jackson was injured, and his only touch of the match was a good one, but despite injury time pressure from Thame, Bicester finished with a clean sheet.

Thame United: Searl, Jackson (Collinge), Johnson, Kitson, Hocking, Butler, Weaver, Connelly, Miller (Watkin), Jack, Gibson.

Chinnor RFC 2nd – vs Bracknell 2nd – Saturday, September 16 – Away Friendly game – Match Report.
Score: Chinnor 2nd, 25 Pts – Bracknell 2nd 19 Pts
SCORERS – Tries: Tom Whelan x 2, Adam White x 1.
Conversions: 2 x Chris Sutton. Penalties: 2 x Chris Sutton.

CHINNOR 2nds made it three out of four with their success over Bracknell at the weekend.
Chinnor started encouragingly with not much luck going their way and some very questionable decisions, as well as a lot of infringements that were not blown for.
It wasn?t until the 22nd minute that Bracknell took advantage of a missed tackle by Chinnor giving the visitors a converted try against the run of play. They followed three minutes later with another in the corner and Chinnor found themselves 12 points to Nil down. Chinnor pulled six points back with two successful penalties by Chris Sutton who had a good game as fly half.
Unfortunately Chinnor allowed the decisions against them to affect their game and lost a lot of ground as a result. They ended six points to 12 down after the first half. Chinnor always seemed in control, only to be let down by either the last pass or not being up quick enough to support each other.
Another missed infringement allowed Bracknell to score from an off side position. Captain Tom Whelan then seemed to pull the team together and they started to concentrate on cutting out the mistakes with Tom leading by example and going over for a well worked try by the pack, which was converted by Sutton.

Then it was the turn of the backs with Adam White getting on the score sheet with a good try, once again converted by Sutton. Chinnor found themselves 20 points to 19 ahead. Then Bracknell was awarded three penalties for descent in front of the posts. However, justice prevailed when all three attempts were missed.
Once again, after some great team rugby, the forwards finished off the move and made sure that the ref had no recourse but to award the try when they pushed Bracknell over the try line allowing Tom Whelan to score his second try and give Chinnor the game 25 points to 19.

This was a much-improved effort by Chinnor after last week?s performance.
Man of the match was Andy Millburn.

Walter McGuicken

MATCH REPORT – Thame United 1, Almondsbury Town 1; Saturday, September 16.
THAME extended their unbeaten run to three games last Saturday against third placed, Almondsbury Town (who are based near Bristol), in a close match which either team could have won.
The first half was fairly even with both sides going close. Thame?s best first half chance came after 20 minutes when Nathan Jack made a lightening fast run on the left and hit a powerful shot which Andy King, the Almondsbury keeper, did well to turn round for a corner. A few minutes later Thame goalkeeper, Paul Searl, made a good save from visiting striker Justin Bishop.

The second half was only five minutes old when Thame were reduced to 10 men. The normally placid Simon Rodgers retaliated after a bad tackle and referee O?Hare had no option but to reach for his red card. Almondsbury went ahead in the 55th minute. The ball was crossed high from Thame?s left and Searl unwisely chose to meet it but only succeeded in deflecting it into the path of the visitor?s left-winger, Adam Cole. His timid shot was deflected by Paul Fowler through the legs of a Thame defender into the goal. Two minutes later Thame?s Dave Hocking made a brilliant, on the line, clearance from a strong shot.

Thame countered and equalised 10 minutes later with a well-worked goal. Jack collected the ball just outside the area and, finding his way to goal blocked, fed it left to Joe Da Silva, who hit a quality 15-yard shot from an acute angle giving King no chance.

The final few minutes saw the visitors hit the woodwork and test Searl further but United?s 10 men held on to collect a valuable point.

Thame United: Searl (Capt.), Smith, Watkins, Kitson, Hocking, Jackson, Gibson, N.Rhodes (Connelly) Rodgers, Jack, De Silva.

NB Thame United entertain Highworth Town on Tuesday 19th Sept. Next Saturday they visit nearby Bicester Town in a recently rearranged fixture

WITH the river low and no flow, the going was tough and the catch was going to be small fish.
Yesterday’s match (17/09), was the ninth match in the league, with the Standings being Tim Eele 1st with 68 points, Alex Richards 2nd with 49 and Martin Chown 3rd with 46 points.
On the day, Martin Chown came out on top with 3.14.0 closely followed by Tony sexton with 3.9.0 and 3rd was Tim Eele with 2.10.0.
With six matches left there’s all to fish for.

Thame are holding their first open of the season on the river Thame on Sunday, October 1, and places can be booked through Thame tackle, Park Street, Thame, on 01844 21221. The match will be a small fish event unless the weather conditions change.

PHOTO: For illustrative purposes only!

Thame United 2, Shrivenham 1 – Match Report (09/09/06)
THAME United recorded their second successive win last Saturday, (09/09) in a ?home? match played at Wallingford.
A week ago United were at the foot of the table but these results have lifted them four places.

Thame got off to a good start and scored in the fourth minute. Graham Jackson played a good pass to Nick Gibson who travelled 20 yards before unleashing a strong shot from 12 yards, easily beating Shrivenham keeper, Daryl Simms.
Three minutes later, left-winger Joe Da Silva, received the ball on the edge of the area, beat his man and hit a well-placed shot just inside the left post from 18 yards. So, after seven minutes play, Simms had picked the ball up from the back of his goal twice.

It looked as though Thame could be in for an easy, high scoring win but Shrivenham recovered well and began to pressurise the Thame goal. The visitors pulled a goal back in the 19th minute when Stuart Bellinger beat two men before hitting a shot from 12 yards. Thame goalkeeper, Paul Searl, had the shot covered but it took a deflection off a Thame defender and finished up in the corner to the net. Both sides had further first-half chances, but the sides went in for half time with Thame leading 2-1.

The second half was an anticlimax. Shrivenham looked sharper and Searl was kept busy, particularly in the first 25 minutes. The final 20 minutes were more even and, with 5 minutes to go, Thame created a good chance to put the result beyond doubt. The ball was played to substitute Dave Miller who, eight yards out and with only Jackson to beat, scuffed his shot. Thame held out and just about deserved their win.

Thame United: Searl, Smith, Watkins, Kitson, Tregurtha (Hocking), Jackson, Gibson, Raja (Miller), Rodgers, Jack, De Silva.

Chinnor RFC – Match Report – By Walter McGuicken
Chinnor 2nd Team 10 Pts vs. Hertford 2nd 52 Pts
Date: 9th September, Home League Game
Scorers:
Tries: Martyn O,Mahony.
Conversions: 1 Adam White
Penalties: 1 Adam White

CHINNOR 2nd played their opening league game in the in the Canterbury Shield this Saturday and rapidly realised that it?s going to be a very tough league, probably about three leagues higher than they played last year.

Hertford 2nds proved to be a very well drilled, experienced team and straight from the kick off showed great support for their strong back line. With the benefit of a couple of bounces, Hertford found themselves in the lead and Chinnor worked hard to stay in touch with a penalty by Adam White and a try by Martyn O,Mahony in the corner converted by White.
The half finished 19 points to ten to Hertford.

Hertford looked the hungrier and more disciplined side and ten minutes into the second half scored their next try. The visitors were stringing together some well-worked moves and had Chinnor encamped in their own 22 metres for most of the second half. They were awarded a penalty try when Nick Grimsdell was deemed to have killed the ball and was sin binned for ten minutes. This was a little harsh because he was in his own goal area and had actually held up the ball to stop the try, so Chinnor was very unlucky.

Hertford scored two further tries while Chinnor were down to fourteen men for ten minutes. Hertford scored again in the 10th minute of injury time, and they certainly deserved to be the winners in a 52 points to 10 total.

At the end of the game the Chinnor boys looked very tired and out of sorts and will have to focus more with their effort and attitude in the future if they hope to emulate last year?s outstanding performance.

The man of the match goes to Charlie McBeth who put in a usual dogged performance and harried everything that moved.

AROUND 500 families enjoyed a fun day in the sun on Saturday, in the build up to Chinnor Rugby Club’s first League match of the season against Hertford.
The final score was Chinnor 1st XV 30 vs. Hertford 1st XV 34.
This was Chinnor First team’s first match since they were promoted to National League three, South at the end of last season.
Full match report coming soon.

09-Sep Sat League Thame United v Shrivenham
16-Sep Sat League Thame United v Almonsbury Town
19-Sep Tue League Thame United v Highworth Town
30-Sep Sat League Thame United v Wantage Town

All Thame’s home games at Wallingford.

LEAGUE MATCH REPORT By Bob Dixon – Hounslow Borough 2 Thame United 3 – September 5th
The much-improved Thame United team recorded their first win of the season on Tuesday evening. Hounslow, like Thame, do not have their own ground so the fixture took place at ?The Manor?: the home of Ruislip Manor F.C.

Thame conceded a ?soft? goal in the second minute when they failed to deal with a simple ball to the unmarked striker Gary Taylor, who slotted the ball past the advancing Thame keeper, Paul Searl, from 15 yards. The visitors quickly recovered and equalised in the 14th minute. Nick Gibson made a good run on the left wing and crossed to Patrick Johnson who finished well from eight yards. Hounslow however regained their lead five minutes later with a superb goal. It came from a corner, which seemingly Dave Tregurtha headed clear. Unfortunately for Thame, the ball fell to Phil Merritt who hit a powerful shot from 35 yards high into the left hand corner, giving Searl no chance.
Thame again countered and levelled the score in the 29th minute with an excellent move. A Beckham like, cross-field ball from Sion Kitson found Nick Gibson on the left wing. His cross fell to Nathan Jack who beat his defender well and fired home low into the right corner from 10 yards. Hounslow counted and forced four corners in succession but the sides went in for half time with the score 2-2.

The second half was 25 minutes old when Thame took the lead and followed a period of Thame pressure, during which a Graham Jackson shot hit the bar. A good ball from Simon Rogers found Nathan Jack unmarked. Before he could be closed down, Jack unleashed a thunderbolt from 30 yards, which found the left top corner of the Hounslow net. The visitors were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty a few minutes later when substitute Dave Miller was tackled from behind, but the referee waved play on. The final few minutes saw Hounslow pressurising the Thame goal but the visitors held out for a much-deserved victory.

Thame United: Searl (capt.) Gomme (Couch), Watkins, Kitson, Tregurtha, Jackson (Miller), Smith, Johnson (Raja), Jack, Rogers, Gibson