Paul Halsey had a lot to be happy about at the end of this game. One of the things that pleased him was Ware’s adaptability to the injury problems they have had and especially the way they have affected his central defence. Since the turn of the year there have been five different players in central defence playing in six different pairings.
The pairing for this game was Jay Rolfe and Mackye Townsend-West, the latter back for the first time since his injury at North Leigh at the beginning of March. He looked a little rusty early on but drew on his natural talent and experience to grow into his role and play his part in limiting the Citizens’ opportunities.
In the second half and a goal behind, the home side started to spread the ball around and initially much of the play seemed concentrated in the Ware half. Yet the Citizens could rarely get into dangerous positions and Fred Burbidge’s goal was seldom under pressure, the Ware keeper not being called on to make any serious saves.
Whilst that was the Citizens’ best period going forward their defensive work for the most part was consistent throughout. It was built around an offside trap strategy that had their back four pushing up at every opportunity. It was frustrating for Ware especially in the first half but there are always chinks in any armour and the visitors found one just before the half hour was up.
A ball over the top of the back four to Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo had their bench calling for offside as they had successfully on every previous occasion but the Ware man was clearly on side. He took the ball forward drawing Joe Welch out of his goal before slipping a pass wide to Theo Ofori who scored easily. A more reasonable question might have been to ask if Ofori was onside but the assistant’s flag stayed down by his side and the goal stood.
A ball dropped over the defence leaving them to back pedal was the obvious tactic against an offside trap and it almost worked again shortly before half time. Soulya-Osekanongo was again the recipient of a ball forward but this time he opted to lob the keeper. It almost came off but Welch did well to finger tip the ball away for a corner from which Sam Mayuma was just wide with a header.
As the Citizens slowly started to control things in the second half Ware were left with scraps on the break but they made a good meal out of one such chance. A through ball was missed by a Welwyn defender and Jon Clements did well to chase it down to the goal line.
Clements turned it back across the eighteen yard box where it appeared Ofori was waiting but he fooled everyone by letting the ball pass to an unmarked Soulya-Osekanongo who drove it into the net from the edge of the penalty area. “A goal at just the right time”, according to Halsey.
Certainly it brought Ware back into the game and they never looked in danger after that. George Ironton’s free kick was just wide of Welch’s post before another free kick, this time from Mitch Hahn, was headed on by Gabriel Chapps from a crowded goal mouth. It brought another fine save out of Welch as he pushed the ball wide for a corner.
Ware’s undefeated run, now at twelve games, consists mostly of draws so two consecutive wins, the first such sequence since November, was another cause for Halsey’s pleasure. He declared himself “really, really pleased” with the result and, in a game where everyone played well, he singled out Max Granville for particular praise.
Ware: Fred Burbidge, Chukuma Okotcha, Joe Dearman, George Ironton (Mitch Hahn 77mins), Jay Rolfe, Mackye Townsend-West, Theo Ofori (Ike Okwusogu 86mins), Max Granville, Jon Clements (Garbriel Chapps 72mins), Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo, Sam Mayuma. Unused sub: Johnny Allotey.
