Ware at home in Bank Holiday Monday’s play-off final after shoot out win.
A hard fought but mostly undistinguished game left just one image in the mind at the end of 120 minutes of open play and the lottery of a penalty shoot-out; that of the eruption, like birds flushed from cover, of the Ware team surging down the pitch to surround keeper Brad Robinson.
Just seconds before he had faced Alasan Ann who needed to score if the ODs were to stay in the game. The number ten’s shot went down the middle hoping to catch out the Ware keeper after all the previous penalties had been put out of reach. It almost worked as Robinson seemed to be going to his left but he steadied himself and parried the ball with both hands. There was a split second of hesitation as the ball bounced free, raising the thought that it might yet spin over the line, before Robinson’s team mates were freed from their penning area near the centre spot.
Ann, at that moment carrying the burden and disappointment of defeat possibly more than anyone else, sought consolation amid his team mates. Amongst them was Saul Williams whose earlier miss, blazed over the cross bar, had placed the pressure on the number ten. There too was Bernard Christie whose penalty opened the whole shoot-out phase with a confident strike into the net. How he must have wished that his penalty during the first half had gone the same way instead of hitting the bar.
Such are the pinpoint moments that change a game. Meanwhile was any Ware player more jubilant than Taufee Skandari? Had Robinson not saved that penalty the pressure would have been on him to score the next one to win the game. He would have had a lot to live up to as Liam Hope, Tom Bruno, Dave Kendall and Albert Adu had all scored well in front of the loud and enthusiastic Ware fans who had made the journey to Bedfordshire in large numbers.
More than two hours earlier Ware had started the game in a manner that was totally different to their disappointing display at Didcot. After five minutes Chris Arthur’s cross found Liam Hope whose header cannoned off the cross bar as a prelude to some intense Ware pressure that only eased off later in the half. By this time Arthur had limped from the pitch with a thigh injury to be replaced by Jay Lovell who took over the full back role comfortably.
The home side came into the game and by the break were probably having the better of things not least when Tom Bruno was judged to have tripped an opponent in the penalty area. The decision was disputed by skipper Louis Rose which earned him a yellow card, doubtless wiped from his mind after Christie’s miss with the spot kick.
The second half could be summarised as something of a slogging match with flowing passes at a minimum and replaced by long balls forward. Dunstable looked the stronger throughout with Keiran Hamilton dangerous whenever he had the ball but it was Ware who had the best opportunities. In the end however neither keeper was given an awful lot to do beyond a good save each, tipping balls away from under their cross bars.
Extra time looked inevitable and the first fifteen minutes continued in the same vein but the final quarter of an hour saw Ware shake off any tiredness to dominate in the way they had in the early period of open play. Once again however neither keeper had much to do until the ball was cleared by a defender’s head off the line following a Ware corner to end any hope of avoiding the shoot-out.
Ware now have a home match on Bank Holiday Monday in the final against North Leigh who won in extra time at Berkhamsted. Both league matches between the two sides were drawn without a goal being scored and their next meeting looks likely to be equally close.
Ware: Brad Robinson, Marcus Milner, Chris Arthur (Jay Lovell 27mins), Tom Bruno, Louis Rose, Dave Kendall, Liam Dulson (Josh Williams 78mins), Leigh Rose, Liam Hope, Albert Adu, Taufee Skandari. Unused subs: Robbie Buchanan, Rechan Esprit, Tyriq Hunte.
