Next up – Thame United
Saturday, 28th March at The ASM Stadium, Meadow View Park, Thame, Oxon. OX9 3RN
Pitching in Southern League, Divison One (Central); kick off 3pm.
Admission
Adults £10, Concessions and under-16s £5.
The match
This game brings together two sides in close proximity to each other in the league table though several points apart. A win for Ware will not alter that though a defeat could put Thame out of our reach. We would then be left to haul in at least one of Hertford or Biggleswade FC who, incidentally, we go to on Easter Monday. As the season reaches its climax Saturday’s game is one of several that underlines the excitment generated by play-offs. You may not like it that the club finishing second doesn’t always gain promotion but it does keep the season alive for more clubs than otherwise. Like it or loathe it, next season two more sides will be added to the play-offs.
Curiously, this match comes after Thame’s midweek win over Hadley. Last Saturday’s victory over Biggleswade Town also came after their midweek win over Hadley. Are the fates telling us something?
Now here’s something I wouldn’t have called attention to even just a few years ago but this game will be our last of the regular season on grass. In additon to three home games our remaining visits are to Biggleswade FC and Beaconsfield Town who both have artificial surfaces. Oh brave new world.
Form guide
Following a slow start which saw them in the relegation positions throughout their first six games, Thame started to come good. By the time of December’s meeting at Wodson Park they were getting some good results. The report of that match is here but suffice to say we took a two goal lead but were clinging on to a draw by the end of 90 minutes. Thame then went a further nine games unbeaten before two unexpected defeats. Since then they gone another six unbeaten. This looks like being as tough a game as last week’s against Biggleswade Town but without home advantage. We will benefit from having as many travelling supporters as possible.
We are of course on a good run ourselves having won six of our last seven games and brought the Waders unbeaten run to an end last week. We will need to put in the same kind of shift as we did in that game. Can we rise to the occasion again? As far as I know there are no new injury worries and we may well have Jack Grosvenor available for this game. He was exercising and kicking a ball on the pitch prior to last Saturday’s kick off.
Previous Meetings – we’re all square
If you’ve read the report of December’s meeting linked above then you’ll know that the clubs have met on fifteen previous occasions with both winning five games and both scoring 26 goals. Concentrating on our nine Southern League meetings so far we have won four and lost two. In that time both sides have recorded 4-0 wins over the other. We have scored 19 goals and conceded 14. Our highest scorer in those nine games is Liam Dulson with seven. Liam is now plying his trade not too far from Thame at Maidenhead United.
Commentary
Pete and Symon will be on air from 2.55pm at https://90minuteslivefootball.mixlr.com/events/4933053
Match Officials
It’s getting late in the season but even so none of Saturday’s officials have been selected for one of our games until now. The referee is Neal Templey and the Assistant Referees are Ireneos Christodoulou and Edward Hall.
