Hard fought contest in FA Trophy battle ends in defeat

Tues 13th Sept. FA Trophy First Qualifying Round. Thame United FC 2 Westbury United 0.

WESTBURY United did their best to get to the next round of the FA Trophy but it was Thame United who walked away with a 2-0 win.

Dan West and Greg Hackett scored early in each half respectively in the re-arranged First Qualifying Round tie, postponed from Saturday 9th September following the death of the Queen. 

Ricky Hulbert had the first chance of the game for United, which was saved by Josh Hill, but Thame would take the lead with their first opening, with a good ball from Greg Hackett setting up captain Dan West. 

Further opportunities for the hosts would follow courtesy of Adam Smith – who was subsequently forced off injured – Hackett and Pearce, but they didn’t test the visiting goalkeeper, Mark Bowden. 

Westbury had shouts for a handball in the Thame box turned down by the referee and were mostly limited to long range attempts. Their best chance before the break came when Hulbert was played through and lobbed the ball past Josh Hill, only to see the effort go wide. 

Thame put themselves in full control of the tie straight out of the blocks in the second half with the second goal. Jack Tutton set up Hackett on the left, the keeper got something on the shot but was unable to keep it out. 

Westbury chances were limited, even if a couple of balls from the right into the box could have been easily turned in. 

Hulbert put an attempted tap in wide in stoppage time but that was as close as they came though as Thame comfortably saw out the game in the final stages.