Thame United recorded their biggest ever home win beating Carterton 8-0 in the first round of qualifying for the FA Vase.
The hosts were expected to win the game with their opponents now struggling in the bottom half of the Hellenic League Division One West. The match also goes some way to avenging a 6-0 loss which Thame suffered in a Hellenic Premier League match in 2006.
Thame took control of the game from the first whistle and went ahead in the 10th minute when Ellis Hercules played a through ball to Lewis Cordice who ran at goal, skilfully dribbled round the oncoming goalkeeper, and tapped the ball into an open goal.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when Luke Ricketts, on his return to the starting line-up hit a long ball to Taylor Collins who intelligently chipped the ball over the keepers head and into the net from 25-yards.
It was 3-0 two minutes later when Collins went for goal from a free kick, and the keeper parried the shot to Cordice who finished well from five yards.
Thame’s spectacular fourth goal, which was the best of the match, and should also be a strong contender for goal of the season, was scored by full back Ian Pykett after a blistering 35-yard shot which went in off the crossbar.
Cordice then completed his hat trick from an acute angle in the 31st minute to make the score 5-0.
Ten minutes later Matt Willett provided a perfect cross to Ben Connelly who confidently headed the ball home from eight yards to make it 6-0.
Into the second half, and substitute James Faulkner added his name to the growing list of scorers in the 53rd minute when he met a Cordice cross with a thundering 10-yard shot into the roof of the net to make it 7-0.
A few minutes later things got even worse for Carterton when they went down to 10 men when Jacob Dayol was dismissed for dissent.
Thame’s final goal came with 15 minutes remaining when a Faulkner header hit the post and Ricketts collected the rebound to fire home to round off the rout.
Thame will meet stiffer opposition in the next round when they travel to Westfield FC, who are based near Woking and play in the Combined Counties Premier Division on Saturday September 21.
Westfield are a team in form having won their last five games. One of them was an FA Cup game against Tuesday’s victors at the ASM Stadium -Shrivenham.
Thame United: Farrow, Willett, I Pykett, Hercules (Lynn), Rhodes, Goss (Faulkner), Connelly, Lynch, Collins (Sykes), Cordice, Ricketts.
United travel to Newbury on Saturday September 14 while the reserves begin their campaign with a home game against Rayners Lane (3.00 kick off).
The next first team match at the ASM Stadium is on Tuesday September 17 when Oxford City Nomads are the visitors (7-45 kick off).
