BINFIELD FC were made to look second best in a 3-0 home defeat to title-chasing Thatcham Town.

Roger Herridge’s young Moles side showed plenty of fight on Saturday but rarely troubled the Hellenic Premier high-fliers.

Had it not been for a string of fine saves from man-of-the-match Nathan Silver, Binfield could have lost by a bigger margin.

The Moles did create some early chances when Liam Ferdinand headed wide and Josh Howell slammed a free kick against the Thatcham wall.

Yet Kingfishers always looked a threat going forward and Silver denied Josh Helmore before producing three more excellent saves to frustrate Chris Gerrard.

But there was little Silver could do to prevent Thatcham from taking a 32nd-minute lead from the penalty spot.

Mark O’Connell was harshly adjudged to have tripped Callum Wilmoth in the box and ex-Moles player Adam Morris beat Silver from the spot.

To their credit, Binfield finished the first half on top after seeing a Howell free kick brilliantly saved by Chris Rackley before Michael Walton was close to converting Howell’s cross.

But the hosts received another blow on the hour mark when former Bracknell striker Shane Cooper-Clark stabbed home from six yards after Wilmoth’s cross had been poorly defended.

Again, Moles hit back and were unlucky not to reduce the deficit when a teasing Jack Gibbs cross was deflected onto the underside of Rackley’s crossbar.

It proved to be a crucial moment in the match as Thatcham scored a third in the 75th minute when Helmore’s shot took a deflection and wrong-footed Silver.

Herridge admitted his side had been beaten by “an excellent team with no real weaknesses and lots of experience and quality.”

He added: “It was a disappointing defeat, but it tells you, along with our results against Kidlington, Highworth and Thatcham, a bit about where are.

“At the start of the season the aim was to finish in the top six and I think we will. We need to improve in certain areas as we want to be up there with those sides at the top of the table.

“We are not going to be there this season, but who knows next year.

“We have got a lot to learn.

“We have a very young dressing room and lack a few leaders at times.”

Herridge admitted he is still looking to strengthen his squad, adding: “We’re certainly on the look out for new players if the right ones become available.”