Great game, shared points for Thatcham Town

There were no goals at Waterside Park but both sides contributed to a highly entertaining game.

Following a couple of poor defeats, the Kingfishers kept an important clean sheet and had plenty of opportunities to break through at the other end.  But Thatcham were unable to get the ball past the visiting keeper Damian Cech, who was watched from the stands by his father, former Chelsea stopper Petr.

The visitors almost scored in the opening minute, with James Sharlott scrambling across his goal-line to deny Francesco Pass.

But Thatcham responded as Levi Heholt fired over, then Shaq Johnson hooked one wide when the ball sat up nicely.  Heholt then headed Callum Winchcombe’s deep centre across the face of goal with Rayden Shurvill inches away from touching it home.

Dontae Hamblin fizzed one over from the edge of the box, and Callum Willmoth’s free-kick was into the keeper’s arms.  But, at the other end, Pass headed a free-kick over the top, then Sharlott had to save from Joe Mills’s near-post drive.

The high tempo continued into the second half, as Hamblin surged into the box, forcing a save, and then Andy Matthews’s downward header bounced over the top.

Both sides then hit the woodwork, as Johnson took a return ball from Shurvill and fired against the post from 18 yards, before a North Greenford player headed a corner against the base of the far stick.

As both sides went for the win, Archie Denton forced a save from Cech with a firm shot from the edge of the box, before the visitors poked the ball home from close range only for the referee to disallow it for a trip on Winchcombe.

Town almost snatched a late winner at the end of ten minutes of added time, as Johnson glanced wide from a left-wing cross with Dan Smith also waiting to pounce.

The Kingfishers are back at Waterside Park next weekend when Holyport are the visitors.