Impressive Thatcham are finding their feet

Thatcham Town made it three wins on the bounce as two second half goals helped the Kingfishers beat Uxbridge 2-0 on Boxing Day.

Kicking off at 12:30, Thatcham started the game well at the Stacatruc Stadium and had the first opportunity of note in the 13th minute when Kiye Martin almost found himself in on goal, forcing Uxbridge goalkeeper Tyler Tobin into a smart save at his feet.

Tobin was called into action again five minutes later as the hosts pressed for an opener, this time the visiting stopper was out well to thwart Thatcham frontman Simeon Weekes to preserve his clean sheet.

Uxbridge then grew into the game and were unfortunate not to be ahead in the 33rd minute as the ball twice cannoned off the crossbar from a corner before Thatcham cleared off the line, the score somehow remaining 0-0.

That near miss seemed to spark Thatcham back to life as the Kingfishers finished the half much the stronger with Martin, Mo Ceesay and Cameron Rohart-Brown all testing Tobin before the break.

Into the second half and both sides exchanged blows before the hour as Tobin did well to deny Weekes before Thatcham’s Toby Fisher was out quickly to stop an Uxbridge counter-attack.

Then, with 15 minutes left on the clock, the Kingfishers broke the deadlock when Ramarni Medford-Smith bundled the ball home from a corner to hand the hosts a well-deserved lead.

Thatcham sat back to defend their advantage but Uxbridge were unable to create a clear-cut chance and, with the visitors pressing late on, the Kingfishers won a 90th minute penalty following a quick break which the influential Kiye Martin stepped up to despatch with almost the last quick of the game to wrap up a 2-0 win.

The result leaves a resurgent Thatcham in 14th in the Isthmian League South Central table and with some breathing space for the first time all season ahead of a difficult trip to fourth placed Basingstoke Town on January 2.