Next up – Leverstock Green
Saturday, 18h 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-leverstock-green/
The match
Well, here’s the thing. Just when it looked as though our play-off chances had gone, last Saturday’s results brought the opportunity of filling the one remaining place tantalisingly close again. Both Hertford and Thame United lost so if we win our last two games neither of them can afford to slip up again. Depending on how you look at it Hertford are in the strongest position of the two yet also arguably the most vulnerable. Lose one of their last two games and we can overtake them. On the other hand Thame have two difficult matches left, lose one and Hertford could go above them on goal difference if they win both of theirs. Ware must aim to win both their last two games and trust that the others drop points.
For us it starts this Saturday with our last home game of the season against Leverstock Green and it won’t be easy. We may have got into goalscoring mode against AFC Dunstable with last week’s 8-0 win but the Green beat them 9-0 on the previous Saturday. These will not be an easy three points to take.
Leverstock’s colours are green as you would expect. It’s just that the three league meetings between us so far, which include two home games for them, have seen them playing in a change strip of pink. That’s despite the Southern League website telling me that their change strip is grey. I wonder if we’ll see them in green on Saturday.
Form guide
Leverstock’s last defeat was over a month ago, a 2-0 reverse at champions Leighton Town. They drew their next game but have since won five on the trot scoring 18 goals and conceding just one. They will not be arriving at Wodson Park just to make up the numbers.
We’ve got over the Biggleswade set back and know that a lot hangs on this game. The team will be prepared but will nerves get the better of them? I understand that there are few injury problems but Herbie Townsend will not now figure as had been hoped at one time and Jack Grosvenor is also out for our last two regular season games.
Previous Meetings
There have been just five meetings in the past. Fraser Higgs scored both goals in a 2-0 home win in the FA Vase back in 2000 but we lost 2-1 away in a senior cup game of 2014, Jermaine Osei scoring. Last season’s league meetings saw Jon Clements get the only goal of the game at Pancake Lane but we couldn’t make it a league double, drawing 1-1 at home thanks to George Ironton’s goal. This season we won the away game 2-1 with goals from Theo Ofori and Bendie Idikayi. Bendie later transferred to Leverstock but seems to have figured in only two of their games.
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/4965676
Match Officials
We welcome all three match officials to Wodson Park for this match. Our referee is Connor Mackay and the assistants are Bradley Hallybone and Marcus Baxter. Mr Baxter is the only official to take a Ware game for the third time this season. He ran the line for our 3-0 home win over Rayners Lane in September and was coincidentally at Leverstock Green four weeks later for our 2-1 win.
Sunday’s EJA football
There are two EJA games at Wodson Park on Sunday. The under-14s end their league season at 10am with the game postponed last week against Cheshunt. Then at midday the under-18s kick off against Norsemen for the first of their final three league games. As always entry is free and the clubroom and tea bar will be open throughout.
