MK Irish were back to winning ways in pre-season after a hugely impressive 4-0 victory away to Thame United on Tuesday night.
Callum Hirst opened the scoring from distance just before half time, and two goals from Mason Davis either side of another for Ryan Smith secured a comfortable win.
Callum Hirst almost opened the scoring in the first minute, latching on to a through ball that split the middle of the Thame backline, but his powerful effort was saved well.
A lively initial five minutes of the game was compounded when Owusu Kyeremateng was called into action, having to palm away a well struck half volley after Nat Beecher’s loose header back fell kindly for a Thame forward.
Ty Ward was next to go close, typically drifting forwards into a pocket of space and unluckily lifting a bouncing pass just over the bar.
With just over twenty minutes gone there were a succession of chances for Irish.
First there were chances for each of the Smith brothers, both seeing their shots deflected, Ryan’s just wide and Nathan’s into a grateful Thame keepers’ arms.
Kyeremateng then had his second important save of the game to make, getting down well to hold a good effort that was headed towards the bottom right corner.
Despite the number of chances it had been a first half where neither side had put together much in the way of good spells of possession.
On the verge of half time the visitors took the lead through an excellent Callum Hirst strike.
Collecting the ball twenty five yards out, the MK Irish midfielder got it out of his feet quickly and drove a shot with pace past the keeper and into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0.
After taking the lead with the virtually the last touch of the first half, Irish started the second with their tails up and Mason Spence almost added a second with a curled effort from distance that went just wide.
Irish were now playing the best football of the game and a perfectly weighted through ball from Ryan Smith had Andre Olukanmi bearing down on goal looking to make it two.
The Thame United keeper had other ideas however, as he charged off his line, mistimed a challenge and would have definitely been sent off had the ball not rolled into Mason Davis’ path who touched it home to grab his second goal in green and white, making it 2-0 to the visitors.
The home team were now struggling to cope with Irish’s free flowing attacking football and soon after it was three as Ryan Smith converted a beautiful team goal.
Some quick passes saw the ball worked into captain Ty Ward’s feet 25 yards out, who backheeled into Smith’s path before he cut back onto his left foot and whipped his shot past the keeper into the bottom corner for 3-0.
Both sides then made numerous changes and Thame began to work themselves back into the game, forcing Kyeremateng into a couple of saves.
The first came from a deep corner in from the right to the back post, which was met cleanly on volley, heading across goal to the far corner and the Irish keeper had to get down quickly to turn it away with his feet.
Kyeremateng then did what the Thame keeper couldn’t earlier on, sprinting off his line and beating the forward to a through ball – without fouling him – and clearing well.
Irish came through the short spell of Thame pressure strongly and responded by extending their lead further as Davis grabbed his second of the game.
A one-two on the edge of the box with Stephen Brooks had Davis clean through on goal, before displaying excellent composure and calmly slotting it into the bottom right corner for 4-0.
Irish were back on it after the fourth and in the final stages of the game they could have had three or four more.
Davis, Ty Ward and Ryan Smith all saw good chances saved, before Hirst almost got a fantastic second from distance.
All in all it was an excellent victory for Irish, comfortably dispatching higher level opposition for the second time in pre-season.
