Diamonds resoundingly defeated Thame United 6-0 at Hayden Road on Tuesday evening to move five points clear at the top of the table.
After the visitors went close through Aston Goss, whose placed shot across goal just evaded the onrushing Dan West at the far post, the hosts forged into the lead in the 13th minute when Joel Gyasi appeared to be fouled only for the advantage to be played, and Ryan Robbins seized possession before rifling home a left-footed effort from the edge of the box. The striker went close to doubling the advantage shortly afterwards when he embarked on a powerful run before his resulting shot was fired just wide of the post, but the Diamonds did double their lead in the 32nd minute. Luke Fairlamb was fouled just outside the box on the left, and Gyasi stepped up to whip a pinpoint effort over the keeper and into the far corner of the goal. Another free-kick almost brought a further home goal moments later after Robbins was fouled, but this time Fairlamb’s curling shot went narrowly wide, and the winger then had another effort only for the strike to go straight to the keeper. They did extend their lead to three shortly before half-time however when a neat one-two between Ben Farrell and Gyasi released the winger into the box before his attempted shot deflected into the path of Farrell for the midfielder to stab in from close-range. It got even better on the stroke of the interval when Diamonds added another goal, with Tom Lorraine driving superbly down the left channel before laying the ball across for Robbins to gleefully tap into the gaping goal.
The unrelenting home pressure continued at the beginning of the second period as Lorraine almost added a fifth immediately after the restart. Gyasi jinked and tricked his way down the right before whipping in an inviting cross for the striker, only for him to be denied by a superb save by the keeper on the goal-line. Though the visitors weren’t playing poorly by any means Diamonds were simply full of confidence and threatened throughout the contest. Robbins, seeking a hat-trick, attempted an ambitious shot from distance only for it to fly over the crossbar, and then Farrell hit an effort from a similar distance that the keeper was able to comfortably save. The midfielder did score his second, and Diamonds’ fifth, of the match though when Sam Brown flicked a header into his path in midfield, and he strode forward before hitting a low effort that flew past the keeper and into the bottom corner of the net. Substitute Ross Oulton almost then got in on the act when a loose ball fell to him around 30 yards from goal, but his strike flew over the goal. There was time for one further goal for the hosts though when Robbins drove into the left side of the box before being brought down by a sliding challenge, and the striker picked himself up before firing the spot-kick down the centre and into the roof of the net to complete his hat-trick, to seal a resounding win and to mark a perfect response to their league defeat last time out.
Full Match Report to follow
Diamonds Man of the Match: Ryan Robbins
Attendance: 334
