Match Preview: Thatcham Town vs Tavistock AFC

Tavistock 24/25 season comes to a end as they take their first trip to the Mettal Stadium to take on already relegated Thatcham Town

By Luca Sperti

 

The Lambs were last in action on Monday as they took on another relegated outfit in Cribbs. The encounter started of slow with both sides having half-chances, with the Lambs shading the possession. In the 43rd minute, the Lambs were given a golden-chance to take the lead after centre-half Joel Jackson made his way into the box. After feeling contact from Cribbs forward Spike Weaver, the Referee had no hesitation put to point to the spot. Tyler Elliott stepped up for the Lambs, with his penalty being saved expertly by young Bristol City goalkeeper Jack Witchard. However Elliott himself, reacted quickest to the young goalkeeper’s save, with the former Tiverton man bundling the ball in for his 7th for the Lambs this season. The Lambs made it 2-0 in the 51st minute, after a ball from midfielder Ruben Kane, found winger Jack Crago who flicked the ball past a on-rushing Witchard before squaring the ball to Lambs talisman Liam Prynn. The forward took a few touches before calmly slotting the ball home for his 26th of the season. In the 72nd minutes two became three for the Lambs with a lovely curled ball by substitute Tallan Burns reaching the lively Crago, who took one touch before smashing the ball home for his 21st of the season. The away side had themselves a penalty in the 87th minute, after the roles were reversed from the previous spot kick. Jackson was adjudged to have pulled Weaver to the ground, with it looking soft on first glance. The young Cribbs forward, stepped up himself from the spot and smashed his penalty into the top right-corner, leaving Lambs substitute goalie Jamie Dudley with no chance. The victory mathematically confirmed the Lambs safety which look apparent for a number of weeks.

Thatcham were also in action last Monday as they took the trip to South Oxfordshire to take on Didcot Town. The Kingfishers knew a defeat in this game could send them into step-five before going into this encounter. The first big-chance of the encounter fell to the away side in their away strip, with a cross from forward Christian Johnson finding fullback Ben Portbury, whose powerful effort was tipped away well by Leigh Bedwell in the Diddy net. However the follow up was tapped home smartly by Jamie Davies. However the attackers celebrations were short-lived with the youngsters effort being chalked off for hand-ball. In the 69th minute a chance for the Red and White wearing home side saw the impressive Dan Ware cut-inside from the left, with his powerful effort just smashed past Matthew Pullinger’s far post. Ware was the man in the right place again in the 75th minute, with the former Paulton man getting onto a Jenson Wright through ball. However the young winger couldn’t keep his shot down for the second time in the afternoon, with his effort smashed over Pulllinger’s crossbar. In the 87th minute Diddy did infarct take the lead after a Sam Barber cross was punched away by Pullinger into the path go right-back Zach Scott ,who headed the ball into a empty net for his 2nd of the season. The result confirmed Thatcham’s relegation in a campaign which has proven difficult for the Berkshire outfit.

The host sit in 20th position going into this game, which is the position they will finish come the end of the season despite any scoreline on Saturday. The Kingfishers have won nine, drew nine and lost 23 games this season. The White and Blue home side have also lost 15 away games this season, the joint most in the division. Accompanying this Thatcham are the only team in the League not to win an away game this season, despite this the clubs six away draws is the best of any team up to 15th place Bashley. Thatcham have also picked up an impressive 30 points at home this term, which includes nine wins, which is a better record at home than Tavi this season. Tavi find themselves in 16th position after 14 wins, eight draws and 19 defeats this season. The Lambs have picked up more home points this season than away, however despite this the Lambs have picked up some impressive away wins this term against the likes of Melksham, Bristol Manor Farm and Mousehole. The Lambs currently sit on a -1 goal difference but will be hoping this game is the opportunity to change that into a positive one. A win is this clash and other results go their way could see the Lambs climbs as high as 14th in the table, which is a impressive feet with the Lambs spending all of January and February in the bottom four.

The last meeting between these two sides is the only meeting to date, with Tavi coming out 2-0 winners at a Sunny Langsford Park. At Langsford Park, the Lambs took the lead in the encounter after current Plymouth Parkway winger Alfie Cunnigham found Exmouth man Luke Steer, down the Tavi left-wing. The young forward took a few touchers before cutting inside and springing past Thatcham midfielder Roberto Nditi. Steer took one more touch, before curling a shot from just outside the box around Nditi. The curling shot was parried by goalkeeper Callum Smart, right into the path of Prynn, who had one of the easiest tapings to make it 1-0. Despite the away side having a few chances in the second half, the Lambs doubled their advantage in the second half, after a excellent taken goal by current West-Brom academy manHarry French. In the 80th minute, a poor Callum Willmoth pass was intercepted by Prynn who slipped in French. French took a great touch and instead of shooting the forward took his time before sending Thatcham defender Josiah Dustan with a quality ball roll before smashing a shot into an empty net, after the ball roll also done Smart.

Thatcham Town Key Players:

Christian Johnson- A young and exciting forward, who is on loan at the kingfishers from National League South side Maidenhead United. Johnson has impressed recently thanks to his power and also ability to drop out-wide and collect the ball. The Wycombe born forward, came through the ranks at Maidenhead and was a profile scorer for the clubs academy side notching up over 30+ goals in the National League South Academy. The forward also spent time in the 22/23 season on loan at Holyport Fc, with the forward scoring a impressive 14 goals in 32 starts with the forward spending plenty of his time at the club deployed as a winger. In November of 2023, Johnson made his Magpies debut coming on against Oxford United in a 3-0 loss in the Fa Cup. Four days later, Johnson scored a hat trick for the Magpies in a Berks & Bucks senior cup clash against Didcot Town. The following season saw Johnson spend time out on loan at Metropolitan Police, Uxbridge and Thatcham. With the forward scoring six goals in 19 appearances during his first spell with the Kingfishers, helping the Berkshire side just finish outside the playoffs in the Isthmian League. Johnson spent the first half of the season on loan at Flackwell Heath in the Southern League Division One Central, with the forward scoring once of the bench against Hertford Town in one of his 10 appearances for the club. At the start of January, Johnson returned to Thatcham for a second time, with the forward scoring four times in 20 games so far this season. These strikes includes goals against Bideford, Bashely and Cinderford. Johnson will be one to look out for in this game due to his work rate and pace which can make him a handful for any defender in this league.

Callum Willmouth- an experienced midfielder, who has been a near ever-present this season. Willmouth started his career at the Swindon Town as a youth player before joining the Kingfishers at the start of the 12/13 season. The all round midfielder spent two season at Thatcham before moving to Newbury Kintbury Rangers. In the 17/18 season, Willmouth piled his trade for Hungerford Town making 14 appearances at the start of the season scoring once in the National League South against Weston-Super-Mare. Willmouth featured five times for the Crusaders the following season before returning to Thatcham for the 19/20 season. In the 19/20 season Willmouth scored three goals in 30 games, with all the midfielders goals coming in the Cups with a goal against Harley Witney in the Southern League Cup and a brace against Barnstaple in the Fa Trophy. The following season saw Willmouth return to Hungerford with the midfielder going onto spend three more seasons with the Wiltshire outfit playing 71 times and scoring four goals. Ahead of the 23/24 season, Willmouth returned to Thathcam in the Isthmian League, with the midfielder being a big part of the side which was unfortunate not to sneak into the playoffs. This season, has seen Willmouth make 43 appearances in the Southern League Division One south, with the Number Four scoring once against Bishop’s Cleeve. A real work-horse, who will give 100 percent in every game he plays, Willmouth will be one to look out for due to his engine and technique in the midfield.

Thathcam Town Last Five Results:

Monday 21st April- Didcot Town 1-0 Thatcham Town
Saturday 19th April- Thathcam Town 0-0 Bishop’s Cleeve
Tuesday 15th April= Thatcham Town 3-2 Bideford AFC
Saturday 12th April- Willand Rovers 3-1 Thathcam Town
Saturday 5th April- Malvern Town 3-0 Thatcham Town

Tavistock AFC Last Five Results:

Monday 21st April- Tavistock AFC 3-1 Cribbs Fc
Saturday 19th April- Helston Athletic 2-1 Tavistock AFC
Saturday 12th April- Tavistock AFC 1-0 Bemerton Heath Harlequins
Saturday 5th April- Westbury United 2-2 Tavistock AFC
Saturday 29th March- Tavistock AFC 0-2 Evesham United

Match Information:
Saturday 25th April Kick-off 3pm
Ticket Information:
From Thatcham Town’s official X account
Ground: Mettal stadium (Waterside Park), Crookham Hill, Thathcam RG19 4PA
Adults: £12
Concessions & Students: £7
Under 16’s: £3
Under 5’s: Fre