In search of their first league win of the season, Ware hosted sixth-placed Marlow at Wodson Park. The visitors had yet to lose away from home this campaign, although they had never taken all three points from Ware on their travels. The hosts, meanwhile, were winless in their previous seven matches and sat bottom of the Southern League Central Division, enduring their worst start to a league season since 2012. Despite the contrasting form of the two sides, their history suggested the 254 supporters in attendance were in for an exciting and competitive affair.
Ware manager Paul Halsey made one change to the starting lineup that faced Hadley the previous weekend, bringing Josh Hutchinson into the attack in place of Rechan Esprit. However, Ware’s unwanted habit of conceding early continued as Marlow took the lead inside 50 seconds. Sebastian D’Aversa sent a long ball over the home defence and winger Flavio Gyawu-Kyem reacted quickest to turn home after his initial effort had struck the post. Ware’s response was immediate. Khale Da Costa’s low corner found Anthony Wordsworth, who fired into the bottom right corner to restore parity within a minute.
Despite the early setback, Ware had started brightly, although Marlow’s physicality helped disrupt their possession. Enrique Tiamuna used his physique to good effect, yet his teammates struggled to test Fred Burbidge convincingly as several half-chances drifted wide. Both goalkeepers also played high up the pitch, looking to sweep behind their defences before either side could capitalise on long balls forwards, with Matt Burrows and Burbidge frequently involved.
Before 20 minutes had passed, Sam Mayuma’s series of stepovers left him caught between shooting and crossing, ultimately resulting in the ball flashing across Marlow’s goal. At the other end, Naheer Nawaf drilled a pass into the box but Chris Lutonadio’s point-blank effort was blocked by Burbidge’s strong outstretched arm. Lutonadio went close again on the half-hour mark, only to fire over the crossbar.
A quieter spell followed in the wet and windy conditions before a misjudged bounce from a cleared ball left Marlow exposed to a three-on-one counterattack. Da Costa drove forward with intent, although his final product lacked the clinical edge needed to punish the visitors. Ware finished the half on the attack, yet Jay Rolfe could only steer his free header wide from a difficult angle following a corner. Halsey and his staff had plenty to be encouraged by as Ware continued to create chances, with the home crowd sensing a first league victory was within reach.
Ware carried that momentum into the second half as captain Leigh Rose met a delivery with his head, only for the effort to be blocked on the line. The ball fell to Anthony Wordsworth, who was already in an offside position. On the hour mark, new signing Ollie Baker impressively drove past two opponents down the left flank and delivered an inviting cross but Reece Beckles-Richards was unable to connect.
Baker’s involvement ended there as Esprit replaced him at left-back. With Ware already struggling for options in the fullback positions, Baker had been filling in away from his preferred role as a left-sided centre-back, making the substitution a potential concern if injury was the reason behind it. Rolfe then came close to putting Ware ahead, meeting another delivery with an uncontested header inside Marlow’s penalty area, only for Burrows to palm the ball over the crossbar. Rose was booked by referee Matthew Childs with 20 minutes remaining, despite protesting that similar offences had gone unpunished earlier in the match.
The scores remained level when Tiamuna found the net for Marlow from an offside position. Minutes later, Burrows hesitated when coming off his line and collided heavily with the onrushing Mayuma, prompting referee Matthew Childs to award Ware a penalty. Despite the severity of the
collision, Burrows escaped dismissal and received a yellow card.
Mayuma stepped up and calmly sent Burrows the wrong way to put Ware ahead. Marlow manager Mark Bartley responded with a triple substitution in an attempt to rescue the game, with just over ten minutes plus stoppage time remaining. However, Ware maintained the pressure. Hutchinson’s hold-up play earned a free kick deep in Marlow territory and Wordsworth picked out the striker inside the box, although the well-worked opportunity came to nothing.
Ware saw out the closing stages with growing confidence to secure their first league win of the season. It was a display of defiance, determination and desire that lifted them off the foot of the table, although they remain in the relegation zone. Marlow remain sixth but the defeat increases the importance of their games in hand as the teams below them look to close the gap.
Line-ups and cards
Ware: Fred Burbidge, Josh Okotcha, Ollie Baker (Rechan Esprit 65mins), Jack Taylor, Leigh Rose (C), Jay Rolfe, Reece Beckles-Richards (Theo Ofori 82mins), Josh Hutchinson, Khale Da Costa (Rylee Kitteringham 91mins), Sam Mayuma, Anthony Wordsworth. Unused subs: Leon Theodoropoulos, Herbie Townsend.
Yellow cards: Ollie Baker 54mins, Leigh Rose 68mins, Reece Beckles-Richards 76mins, Jack Taylor 82mins.
Marlow: Matt Burrows, Abdallah Khalil, Charles Morris (Fabian Garcia 63mins), Sebastan D’Aversa, Enrique Tiamuna, Chris Ovenden (C), Naheer Nawaf (Toby Raggett 78mins), Flavio Gyawu-Kyem (Guy Hamilton-Olise 78mins), William Ramirez (Harry Maudner 78mins), Alfie Agar, Chris Lutonadio (Remel Larwood 88mins).
Yellow cards: Alfie Agar 39mins, Chris Lutonadio 69mins, Matt Burrows 74mins.
