TOM Melledew, Thatcham Town’s captain, said the timing of his side’s goals was perfect after an FA Vase semi-final success against 1874 Northwich on Saturday.

The Kingfishers arrived at Wincham Park with a slender lead following a 1-0 win in the first leg seven days earlier.

They added two goals to their tally inside half an hour of the teams’ second meeting, and replied almost instantly with another after their hosts threatened to fight back.

“Even with a script it couldn’t have gone better,” he said afterwards.

“All week we’d been saying that we wanted to get an early goal if we could, and it settled our nerves when we did.

“To score again so soon after half-time, which settled it really, was perfect timing.”

Gavin James, a replacement for Ross Cook – last week’s match-winner – who had succumbed to a hamstring injury, was on target twice for Thatcham in the first half.

Scott McGowan’s penalty shortly before the break briefly reignited the home team’s hopes before Shane Cooper-Clark dashed them again with a stunning strike early in the second period.

It rendered captain Matthew Woolley’s firm header a consolation when 1874 found the net again.

Melledew said: “I think we deserve to go through.

“Perhaps it was a cheap penalty that we conceded – I don’t know – but it was unbelievable to then score again quickly.

“We had been on the ropes before half-time, and that settled us back down again.

“I’m lost for words a little bit because it’s a dream to finish the job we started last week and to get to Wembley.”

Thatcham have now avoided a defeat in their past 29 matches in all competitions, and no opponent has beaten them away from home since Banbury United on September 16.

Melledew quipped: “We’ve forgotten how to lose, but it’s not a bad habit to have is it?”