Category: Sports News

IN a true ‘nip and tuck’ match, Chinnor RFC, with the last play of the match, snatched victory from Old Elthamians by 25-22, on Saturday (Nov 8).

The match was affected by both wind and rain with the visitors from Chislehurst in Kent benefiting from a strong wind at their backs during the first half. The first score of the match went to Chinnor with Alfie To’oala touching down from a driven penalty lineout. Keohane’s conversion put the home side 7-0 ahead on 15 minutes. Just three minutes later, Old E’s Bressons went blind from a scrum and slipped the ball to Renford Bennett, who strolled through the Chinnor defence for a 7-5 score. The Kentish men then went into the lead when the lively Cullen charged down a Chinnor kick and was first to the ball as it crossed the Chinnor line. White converted to put the visitors 12-7 ahead on 22 minutes.

The driving rain slowed the game down for a while. Old Elthamian’s Sullivan was yellow carded on 30 minutes for slapping the ball away as Chinnor threatened. Just three minutes from half-time, Chinnor drew level 12-12 with another driven lineout, this time Hayes being the last man on the ball.

The second half started badly for Chinnor when scrum half Frank Jones was yellow carded for coming in at the side. Old E’s White slotted the resulting penalty to put the visitors 15-12 ahead. Keohane, for Chinnor, squared the scores again with a penalty goal on 50 minutes, 15-15.

 Chinnor re-took the lead with a try from To’oala at the rear of a rolling maul. Keohane’s conversion put the home side 22-15 ahead on 63 minutes. Daring play from the visitors was rewarded with a try from Cullen, converted by White. Old Elthamians eschewed an easy penalty kick in front of the posts for a scrum. After working the ball down the blindside, it was zipped across the open field to Cullen to bag his second try of the day and to tie the scores again.

With a few minutes to go, Chinnor upped the pace and spent the last two minutes on the visitors’ line desperately looking for a winning score. Old E’s Nelmes succumbed to pressure to allow Keohane the easiest of penalty kicks in front of the posts to snatch a 25-22 lead as the referee blew for no side.

SOURCE – Contributed by Dave Winpenny

THAME United ground-out their third consecutive 2-1 victory at Shrivenham on Saturday,November 8, to extend their winning run in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division to six matches.

On a pitch that was sodden, United played up the pronounced slope in the first half and were, for the opening exchanges, on the back foot as the home side pressed. Indeed, they created one of their best chances on three minutes, only for the ball to be skewed wide from in front of goal. The first chance for United came on ten minutes when good interplay between the returning Marcus Mealing and Dan West saw an effort from the latter well saved by Clark in the home goal, before a goalmouth scramble ensued. Five minutes later a Mealing header from a Matt Hall cross was well saved by Clark.

The opening goal arrived on 26 minutes when a Luke Ricketts effort went wide for a corner, which Dan Jones floated in from the left, only for West to be pushed to the ground. Referee, Neil Evans, had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and West brushed himself off to hit a powerful spot kick giving the keeper no chance. For the remainder of the half there was little goal mouth action until the last kick of the half when United failed to clear their lines and Robertson finished for the home side.

United came out the stronger of the two teams in the second half and, following a couple of chances, what turned out to be the winning goal arrived on 51 minutes. West was fouled on the edge of the penalty area, with Dan Jones hitting the free kick low, only to see his effort come back off the post. Fortunately for United a number of players had followed the ball in to the area and Luke Ricketts was the first to react to finish from close range.

The remainder of the game followed a similar pattern to the first half, with few goal scoring opportunities for either side. That was until the last few minutes of the game when Cockerill was twice called in to action, pulling off good saves in both instance.

The win consolidates United’s fifth place league position before the Oxfordshire Senior Cup match next weekend against North Leigh United.

United: Cockerill, Evans, Hall, Hercules, Burrows (Hodgkins), Lynch, Jones, Morris, West, Mealing, Ricketts

AN injury time strike from Luke Ricketts finally broke the stubborn resistance of neighbours Chinnor as United progressed to the next round of the FA Vase on Saturday.

In front of one of the largest crowds of the day in the FA Vase (283), United were perhaps expecting Chinnor to adopt a physical approach to the match – an approach that had been employed on numerous occasions in the recent past. Instead, they were met with a side playing neat passing football, with former United player Stuart Braun, in particular, linking the play for the visitors. As it was, Chinnor had the bulk of the play in the opening thirty minutes, albeit chances in front of goal were limited for both sides.

The first real chance came to United after a quarter of an hour when Stacey Field did well to create space and put a cross over that Ben Gray headed wide. A better chance came to Chinnor a couple of minutes later when a corner from the left was floated to the far post, with Craig Faulconbridge heading just wide. A Dan Jones half volley for United was just wide moments later, before the visitors broke the deadlock from the penalty spot, Faulconbridge calmly slotting home in to the bottom corner after an offence in the penalty area.

At this stage United were struggling to find any real rhythm or to generate any pace in the game – features that had been evident in the recent run of form. However, they levelled the game five minutes before the break when a long throw from Matt Hall was flicked on by Ellis Hercules and beyond keeper Ben Taunton, in to the far corner of the goal. The goal was, perhaps, significant not only for getting United level, but in its timing just before half time and marking a change in the momentum of the game.

United started the second half brightly and in the opening minutes Ben Gray struck an effort just wide before captain Adam Morris shaved the outside of the post from 20 yards. As the half progressed, United had the majority of the possession with Chinnor content to play on the break, but despite the possession, United were unable to take advantage. A Hercules header was cleared off the line, before Dan Jones had two good chances with Taunton saving one and the other going wide.

However, just as it looked like the game was going in to Extra Time, a perfect through- ball from Ollie Lynch was controlled in one touch by Luke Ricketts on the edge of the box, before then placing the ball wide of the advancing Taunton with his second touch. Cue scenes of jubilation on and off the field and, with barely a minute left on the clock, United held on to progress to the next round. Phew!

Final score: Thame 2, Chinnor 1
United: Cockerill, Evans, Hall, Hercules, Mulholland, Lynch, Jones, Morris, Gray (Jesson), Field, Ricketts

SOURCE: Contributed

FREE squash lessons have proven a hit with Thame’s school children this half-term, at a ‘Squash camp’ regularly provided by Racquets Fitness Club.

Squash coach, Sue Martin Downhill, said: “It was great to see so many children attending the squash camp during the half term. There was a 25% increase in the numbers from previous camps and a brilliant competitive spirit from the kids.

“The children come from many different schools around the area including Barley Hill Primary School, John Hampden Primary School, Lord Williams’s Lower and Upper schools, Gateway school in Great Missenden, Aylesbury Grammar,cAylesbury High School, and the Dragon School in Oxford. Ages ranged from 8 to 15 and there were three children from the same family.”

The Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green, who is a school Governor at Barley Hill Primary School, in Thame, said: “I am so pleased to see the Year 5 and 6 children from Barley Hill and John Hampden schools enjoying their free squash lessons during school PE lessons at Racquets.

“This is such a good opportunity and Racquets are again showing their commitment to our community to both young and old – I’m learning to play racketball with the Silver Servers myself!  I only wish I’d had lessons when I was at primary school.”

Silver Servers is a session that takes place on Tuesday mornings where anyone over 50 can go along and join in to play racketball with other over 50s, some of whom have played before and others who are new to the game.

Contact: http://www.racquets-fitness-centre.com/

FOR the second time in a week United scored in the first minute of their match against Newbury on October 18,  to put them on the way to a comfortable win at Newbury and another three points. The final score was Newbury 0, Thame United 4.

Captain Adam Morris slid the ball through to Luke Ricketts who out-paced his marker before slamming a shot from 20 yards against the under-side of the bar and in to the back of the net. Shortly after, full back Dan Jones nearly extended the lead when his shot from an acute angle came back off the post. At this stage, the home side had rarely threatened, but Josh Cockerill was called in to action on 12 minutes to save comfortable.

The second goal arrived on 20 minutes when Andy Gledhill did well to win a corner that led to an Adam Morris cross which was powerfully met by the head of Ellis Hercules, who directed the ball beyond the grasp of Gee in the Newbury goal and in to the top corner. It was no less than Thame deserved and, whilst there was little meaningful action for the remainder of the half, Ricketts went close on 38 minutes, heading over from a Gledhill cross.

The match was over within 15 minutes of the second half as United scored two more goals. First, on 56 minutes, Morris floated a free kick in to the box where Ellis Hercules knocked the ball back across goal for substitute Adam Hazell to hit a left-foot volley on the half-turn that flew in to the far corner of the goal. Then, on 58 minutes, Ricketts went on a trademark run down the Thame left before delivering a low cross that evaded Gledhill, but Dan West was on hand at the far post to steer the ball home. As with the first half, the remainder of the game lacked significant action, with Newbury having the majority of the possession, but with Thame looking the more likely to extend their lead on the break.

The win, which maintains the unbeaten away start to the season in all competitions, sees United move up to sixth in the league.

United:

Cockerill, Evans, Jones, Hercules, Muholland (Coverley), Lynch, Connelly (Hazell), Morrise, Gledhill (Jesson), West, Ricketts.

SOURCE: Contributed by Jake Collinge.

RACQUETS Fitness Centre in Thame is running a one day squash tournament for the juniors this Saturday, October 18, and there are still some places left so get in there quickly!

There will be round robin events of three, four or five players – so everyone will only be playing others of similar standard, and guaranteed two games.

The tournement will take place from 12noon to 3.30pm. More details on the Racquets’ website: http://www.racquets-fitness-centre.com/october-one-day-squash-junior-tournament-world-squash-day-saturday-18th-october-2014/