Raiders Blues play pretty football but have to settle for draw

Raiders made the perfect start to the game with a goal after just four minutes.

Luke Matheson made a burst into the area on the right and, when he pulled the ball back across the six-yard box, Oscar Lenane was perfectly placed to thump it home.

Visitors Thame used the long ball over the top to good effect and drew level after 16 minutes.

But it was the Raiders who were playing the more attractive football.

Having seen Lenane hit the post shortly after the half-time break, the Raiders regained their lead in the 44th minute when Liam French moved the ball to his right for Matheson to surprise the Thame keeper with a first-time shot that flew inside the right-hand upright of the net for his second goal of the game.

Thame made it 2-2 ten minutes later and the visitors could even have gone into the lead but for two excellent finger-tip saves from the Raiders’ keeper Finnlee Ferguson.

In the closing stages it was the Raiders who looked the more likely to win the match with French, Tom Foley and Will Smooker all forcing excellent blocks from the Thame keeper.

But in the end the two sides had to share the spoils.

The Raiders Blues’ assistant manager James Marchant said after the game: “It was a game we could have won.

“But in terms of work-rate, I couldn’t fault the effort of the boys.”