Match Report: Thatcham Town vs Tavistock AFC
By Luca Sperti
Tavistock last’s game of the 24/25 season ends in a 2-0 defeat up at Thatcham thanks to goals from Ben Portbury and Christian Johnson, for the relegated home side, on a difficult surface!
Stuart Henderson’s made one enforced change to his final Lambs team of the season with Tallan Burns returning to the side replacing the suspended Luke Mortimore.
The first chance of the encounter at the Mettal Stadium fell to the home side with Maidenhead loanee Christian Johnson picking the ball up down the right-wing in the second minute. The former Metropolitan Police forward made his way infield before smashing a powerful effort which guided past Aaron Dearing’s far right-post.
Six minutes were played, when the blue and white wearing home side had another chance with Mo Ceesay intercepted a loose ball in the midfield and smashing a powerful effort, which was saved well by Dearing. In the 12th minute, the home side won a freekick in the middle of the park after Lambs midfielder Ruben Kane was adjudged to have handled the ball. The resulting freekick was whipped in by Kyle Daniel-Spray and parried by Dearing before eventually being cleared by the Lambs.
In the 13th minute, the Lambs picked up the first card of the game with midfielder Tyler Elliott booked for a challenge on Daniel-Spray, near the Thathcam corner flag. The yellow at first glance deemed harsh, with the challenge the former Tiverton man’s first of the afternoon. Three minutes later, the Lambs had a great chance to take the lead after a Matt Pullinger clearance was intercepted by Jack Crago for the Lambs. The clearance of Crago fell to Elliott, who smashed a powerful effort towards the goal which was saved well by the returning Pullinger, who got his bearings back between the sticks.
Three minutes later, the Lambs had another chance after Max Edgecombe did well to win a corner of Ben Portbury. The resulting corner was cleared by a Thathcam head but fell to Harrison outside the box, whose volleyed effort was smashed just over Pullinger’s top right-corner. In the 22nd minute, a through ball by Kane found Crago, who looked to lob the ball over Pullinger, however the former Plymouth Parkway man’s chip was caught comfortably by the Thatcham shot-stopper.
A minute later, Elliott was penalised again for a foul on Daniel-Spray, with the Lambs attacker warned by the Referee he was on his last warning. The resulting cross by the impressive Daniel-Spray was met by the head of Clive Gwavava, whose header was saved by Dearing. Three minutes later a cross by Portbury for the home side found Ceesay in the middle of the box, but the midfielder couldn’tt keep his effort down, with his shot flying over Dearing’s bar. In the 28th minute, the on-top home side had another effort towards goal with Jamie Davies cutting inside from the left and smashing a shot just wide of Dearing’s net.
In the 33rd minute a freekick for the home side was cleared by the feet of Dearing after an effort by Calllum Willmoth, with the ball eventually cleared by the Lambs. However the home side did well to retrieve the second-ball and kept the attack alive. A ball from the right-wing by Willmoth again, saw the ball find Portbury in the box who took a touch, before smashing a powerful effort into the top-right corner. The effort was a goal worth opening any game and one which Dearing couldn’t do anything about.
After the goal both sides created little in the final knockings of the first-half, with Lambs creating half-chances which were all cleared all came to a halt due to an offside. The final bit of action in the first-half saw neat play by Burns and Edgecombe see the Lambs win a throw high up the pitch. The throw was launched into the box and caused a few problems before being cleared, with the Referee blowing for half-time not long later.
The first bit of action in a quiet start to the second-half, saw Elliott replaced in the 55th minute with the attacker on a tight-rope, with Tom Symons coming on and taking his place. In the 56th minute, the Lambs won a freekick after a trip on Jackson by Johnson. The resulting set-piece was swung into the box and flicked on by Crago, but was caught well by Pullinger in the Lambs net. In the 57th minute, the home side created an opportunity after Daniel-Spray slipped in Davies down the left-wing, who made it into the box before smashing an effort wide of Dearing’s goal.
In the 62nd minute, the home side made a double change with Gwavava and Davies being replaced by Shamar Moore and Andrew Matthews. In the 63rd minute, an excellent save by Dearing prevented Johnson from scoring an acrobatic second for the home side. A long throw from the right made it’s way into the box, before reaching Johnson who acrobatically bicycle kicked the ball towards the far-corner, which was clawed out of the far-corner expertly by the Lambs Number One.
In the 65th minute, a chance for the on-top home side saw the impressive Daniel-Spray make his way down the left-wing, before smashing a powerful shot into the side-netting. In the 69th minute, the home side made their third sub of the encounter with Harvey Flippance replaced by Jenson Mansel.
Two minutes later a massive chance for the Lambs saw Burns played in down the left-wing, the attacker made his way into the box and looked to be caught in two minds whenever to cross or shoot. The experienced midfielder decided to pass the ball towards forward Liam Prynn, however Matthews did well for the home side to read and then intercept the ball.
In the 73rd minute, another big chance for the home side saw a ball from the right by Portbury meet the head of Moore, whose flicked header was clawed away expertly by the impressive Dearing, who had another excellent game in a Lambs shirt.
In the 75th minute, the Lambs made their second sub of the day with Ruben Kane being replaced by former Saltash man Ethan Wright. Two minutes later, the on-top home side added a second, with the lively Johnson getting a goal his all round play deserved. A through ball by Wilmoth found Johnson, who flicked the ball past Iestyn Harris, before rolling an effort under the body of Dearing, who was left disappointed with the effort going in.
In the 82nd minute, Crago picked up the ball on the left-wing for the Lambs with the forward cutting in and smashing an effort wide of Pullinger’s net. In the 87th minute another chance for Lambs saw Wright find Prynn, who made his way into the box before looking to shoot before loosing the ball after a excellent tackle by Willmoth for the home side.
Crago was then carded for the Lambs in the 88th minute, after a late challenge on Pullinger after a frustrating afternoon for the forward. In addition time the home side created a few opportunities with a Matthews header from a Daniel-Spray cross smashed over the bar, before Mansel shot was flicked wide of Dearing’s far-post.
Not long later, the Referee blew for full-time and for the final time in the 24/25 season, with the Lambs securing Southern League football for the fourth season on the bounce. After a difficult season which ended in relegation, Thathcam were now drop into step-five for the 25/26 season for the first time since the 17/18 season.
Lineups:
Thatcham Town: Pullinger, Ceesay, Daniel-Spray, Willmoth, Gwavava (Matthews 61), Bourne, Portbury, Dundas, Johnson, Flippance (Mansel 69), Davies (Moore 61)
Tavistock AFC: Dearing, Jackson, Harrison, Prynn, Elliott (Symons 55), Crago, Edgecombe, Burns, Wilkins, Kane (Wright 75), Harris
