For the 30th edition of this fixture, a late Enfield goal condemned Ware to a home defeat. The 1-0 loss handed Enfield their first points against Ware since 2006.
The home side came into the game sitting seventh, on the back of two home defeats, meaning supporters had every right to expect a response against 20th-placed Enfield. With excitement building among the 215 in attendance, the team sheets revealed a change in shape, with Paul Halsey setting his side up in a 4-3-3 formation. The problematic goalkeeper position was filled by the return of Fred Burbidge whilst in the midfield was another returnee, Leigh Rose.
The opening five minutes saw a half-chance apiece – Enfield’s eventually flagged for offside – and not long after, Ware saw a huge opportunity go begging after the ball was well won and neatly played through for a one-on-one chance. Overall, the first 15 minutes saw Ware’s right flank heavily involved going forward. However, the Blues struggled to find consistency, with Halsey repeatedly demanding the ball to be released back across the danger zone. Twenty minutes in, Ware were working positions well, though Enfield were unexpectedly holding their own.
As the half progressed, one or two feisty encounters emerged. Until that point, referee Chad Greatorex had allowed play to flow – much to the disbelief of the home bench. The first half ended with Ware growing in frustration and lacking the cutting edge required in key moments. Despite this, after a brighter opening from Enfield, the home side were eventually the better of the two before the interval.
Moments after Greatorex’s whistle brought the first half to a close, a lively confrontation sparked heading down the tunnel, with Enfield seemingly antagonising an already frustrated Ware side.
Enfield started the second half well once again, with Ware forced to wait until the hour mark for their next clear chance. That opportunity came via a counter-attack, ending with a poorly executed final pass from the right-hand side. Halsey soon reacted, introducing two substitutions shortly after the missed chance – a telling reflection of Ware’s opening to the half.
Minutes later, Ware came agonisingly close as a shot was cleared off the line following neat, tricky play cutting in from the right flank – the closest the hosts would come to finding a breakthrough. Shortly after Enfield made a double change, a nasty challenge saw Ware on the receiving end, sparking both sets of players and resulting in a yellow card. With 15 minutes remaining, Ware’s second-half performance lacked the tempo required to force a winner and failed to build sustained pressure. They would come close once more, though, as Ofori’s volley rebounded off the crossbar from a floated cross from the left.
Then, in the dying moments, Enfield tapped home a 93rd-minute winner to take all three points and add to Ware’s recent home struggles. During the visitors’ celebrations, Halsey became involved in an incident with a celebrating substitute, resulting in the manager being shown a red card. Play eventually resumed to see out the remaining moments of a disappointing afternoon for the Blues.
The result sees Ware drop to eighth, leaving a dent in their play-off hopes, now sitting five points adrift of the top five.
Line-ups and cards
Ware: Fred Burbidge, David Sota (Roman Chapps 56mins), Sami Moutawafiq, Leigh Rose, Jack Grosvenor (C), Theo Ofori, Jack Taylor, Josh Hutchinson (Johnny Allotey 61mins), Reece Beckles-Richards, Josh Okotcha, Jay Rolfe. Unused subs: Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo, Max Granville, Rechan Esprit.
Enfield: George Edgeworth, Malachi Soile, Aundre Wholas-Spencer, Matthew Hurley, Toib Adeyemi, Joni Vukaj (George Spillane 94mins), Charlie Anderson (Oluwatamilore Ogunnowo 68mins), George Thompson, Samir Ali (Nathan Brathwaite 65mins), Freddy Moncur, (C). Unused subs: Razvan-Alexandru Marcu, George Sykes.
Yellow cards: Charlie Anderson 33mins, Freddy Moncur 65mins, Nathan Brathwaite 70mins, Toib Adeyemi 72mins, Bradley McClenaghan 87mins.
