This was an entertaining game. That there were fewer spectators than normal to enjoy it may have something to do with Ware’s heavy defeat in midweek. That was partly expunged by the clean sheet and three points produced by this game.
Ware will certainly hope to have encouraged more to watch them next week. Then the opponents will be league leaders Leighton Town, a somewhat different proposition to an Aylesbury side who worked hard and had their chances but whose play and luck ultimately reflected life towards the bottom of the table.
The Blues deserved the points over all but it had been a close encounter during the first half. The first forty five minutes swayed one way then the other as United, under new manager Dave Tuttle, made a good fist of their task.
Ware were adjusting to team changes. David Sota was back from long term injury at left back but Sam Mayuma’s injury at Hadley in midweek has proved problematic and he may be out for a while. At least Finlay Titchmarsh was able to return to his favoured right back position and the back four took on a steadier look than four days earlier. They brought about Ware’s first clean sheet in 28 days and seven games. Even so there were times in both halves when a side in the top half of the table might have punished Ware’s defence.
Jay Rolfe at centre back and himself only recently returned from a long layoff said after the match that he was slowly getting back to form. He felt that three consecutive 90 minute periods had done him good but also that there was still some ground to make up.
Ware started well and as early as the second minute Rechan Esprit’s header had keeper Jack Hopwood stretching to turn it round the post. But instead of lifting Ware this chance spurred United into action. The theme of the first half was thus established as first one side had the initiative and then the other.
Before the break Ware’s best chance came from Theo Ofori’s run into the visitors’ penalty area. He pulled the ball back from the byline close to goal but the chance was cleared behind by an Aylesbury foot as Reece Beckles-Richards closed in for the kill. At the other end United came close when a free kick hit the Ware crossbar though it looked as though Ben Nightingale had it covered.
The second half saw Ware getting the upper hand with Ofori and Johnny Allotey working well on both wings, Ten minutes in it was Sota’s swift pass that found Ofori who laid the ball into the path of Esprit on the edge of the area. Hopwood got a hand to Esprit’s shot but couldn’t prevent the opener.
Ware needed another goal to cement their lead and it came with twenty minutes to go. Allotey rescued the ball near the corner flag and laid it back to Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo who fed Sami Moutawafiq.
By this time Allotey had arrived at the edge of the penalty area, took Moutawafiq’s pass and hit the ball into the top corner of the net. Again, Hopwood got a hand to the ball but could do little more than divert a nicely taken goal.
Aylesbury continued to present enough danger to suggest they could score and missed a good chance when Ayo Akinbobola chose to shoot rather than pass to an unmarked Benji Kakembo. By then however it was likely to have been no more than a consolation. Meanwhile, Ware weren’t sitting back and Ofori’s run needed only to be finished with a slightly lower shot to cause Hopwood problems.
As for who was man of the match, there were as many different answers as people asked. That may well be an indication that this season’s two most frequent holders of that award remain injured on the sidelines.
Line-ups and cards
Ware: Ben Nightingale, Finlay Titchmarsh, David Sota (Max Granville 79mins), Sami Moutawafiq, Josh Okotcha, Jay Rolfe, Theo Ofori, Gucci Soulya-Oskanongo, , Reece Beccles-Richards (C) (Caiden Remy-Dee 77mins), Rechan Esprit (Gabriel Chapps 77mins), Johnny Allotey. Unused subs: Josip Jevdic, Bendie Idikayi.
Yellow card: Finlay Titchmarsh 39mins.
Aylesbury United: Jack Hopwood, Lee Stobbs, Charlie Tuttle (Jake Bewley 30mins), Jack Wood, Luke Martin, Ben Peters (Abdullah Jellal 56mins). Benjie Kakembo, Sonny French (Ayo Akinbobola 64mins), Rocko Tamplin, Fabian Garcia (Powfil Raposo 77mins), Finlay Reeves. Unused sub: Liam Batchelor-Morgan.
Yellow card: Abdullah Jellal 88mins.
