Next up – Flackwell Heath
Friday, 3rd April at Wodson Park, SG12 0UQ.
Pitching in Southern League, Divison One (Central); kick off 3pm.
Admission
Admission (contactless preferred but cash accepted) – Adults £10, Concessions £5, under 14 free with paying adult otherwise £2.50.
Printed programme on the gate for £2.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://warefc.co.uk/product/ware-v-flackwell-heath/
The match
A welcome to the Heathens with their supporters and officials led by chairman Terry Glynn. This is their second season after promotion from Step 5 and they are holding their place comfortably. They are not now looking to be going up nor worried about going down but that shouldn’t make us complacent. Their defeat of Hitchin Town last week is warning enough. For Ware this is the next match on the road towards a finish in the play-off places and should be approached as such.
Good Friday and the Heathens are here?
This is just our sixth game ever on Good Friday. The first was back in 1894 on March 31st away to Broxbourne. It was a 4-1 win with two goals from G B Newport and one apiece from Edmund Pearce and H Cooper. We drew the next in April 1922 when Ben Hart scored our goal in a drawn Herts Senior Cup final before 1925’s 3-1 win at Stanstead Abbots (now St Margaretsbury) in the Herts County League. Two defeats followed, the first in 1957 when we lost to Dagenham 3-1 (Mo Hibbert) in the Delphian League Cup final before 1982’s 5-0 league set back against Lewes.
Potential milestone
If selected, Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo will make his fiftieth appearance for Ware in this game.
Form guide
Flackwell have failed to repeat last season’s form which may be partly due to the loss of top scorer Wiktor Makowski to Slough Town. That hasn’t stopped them from getting some decent results so we cannot expect an automatic repeat of last season’s home game when Joe Dearman and Johnny Allotey scored in an odd goal win.
Now five games undefeated with twelve goals scored and three conceded, Ware will have confidence in their game. Over confidence is one possible issue to be overcome as is the Heathens’ ability, as reported by Hitchin, to close opponents down and not allow them any space to play their normal game.
Previous Meetings
Ware and Flackwell captains have been shaking hands in the centre circle for over forty years, a period covering 27 fixtures under both the Isthmian and now Southern banners. We’re ahead by fifteen wins to eight, a record helped by recent results that have seen us unbeaten in the last nine meetings. Our scoring record is significantly better too with a brace of 5-0 wins, plus 5-1 and 5-2 successes. By contrast the most we have conceded in a game is three and that just twice. We won this season’s earlier meeting in Buckinghamshire when Reece Beckles-Richards scored the only goal. A report of that match can be read here.
Commentary
Pete and Symon will be at Wodson Park for those who can’t make the game. Their commentary will start at 2.55 and can be found at 90minuteslivefootball.mixlr.com/events/4956411
Match Officials
We welcome all three match officials on their first visit to Wodson Park this season. Our referee is Matthew Roling and the assistants are Justin Wiseman and Royan Campbell. Mr Campbell ran the line for our 2-1 defeat at Biggleswade Town back in November.
Sunday’s EJA football – there isn’t any
The Eastern Junior Alliance has given all its teams a day off over the Easter holiday weekend.
