Once again Chesham’s “Meadow” ground has proved a disappointing venue for Ware’s games against Aylesbury United. The Ducks are looking to find a home back in Aylesbury itself and given their last five visits to Chesham Ware will be hoping any move will be soon.
The previous four games there have brought just a single point for Ware. There have been complaints that they haven’t always had the rub of the green in those meetings. They didn’t get many breaks this time but it would be difficult to persuade United that they hadn’t fought hard to deserve their first win in six games.
Ware rarely got going in what can only be called a lacklustre display. Early promise in both halves failed to bring reward and Blues too often struggled to make an impact.
There were two changes from the team that started at Marlow in the midweek win with David Sota unavailable through work commitments and Josh Hutchinson crying off with illness. Even so the eleven that started the game looked perfectly capable of achieving a third consecutive win.
That seemed possible early on especially when Johnny Allotey broke forward into the Aylesbury penalty area. With a defender on either side of him he had done well to carry the ball that far and, with Reece Beckles-Richards in a good position and hoping for a pass, he probably felt justified in trying a shot.
Yet Jack Hopwood in the home goal came out to meet him and just got a hand to divert the ball. It was close but Allotey went home without a cigar.
It was perhaps the only time that Hopwood needed to make a clean save in the game though the Aylesbury defence was in trouble after 18 minutes before Sami Moutawafiq’s corner was eventually scrambled clear.
Moutawafiq was already on a yellow by then having just failed to time a tackle on Abdullah Jellal. A second yellow ten minutes into the second half was less excusable, a double handed push on James Bone when the ball was going out of play. It left Ware with ten men for the rest of the game. Moutawafiq will also miss the next home game against Barton Rovers.
By this time Ware were already a goal behind. Aylesbury had weathered the opening period and launched a couple of dangerous looking attacks on their right, the second requiring Ware to scramble the ball clear.
It was third time lucky for Aylesbury when they came again ten minutes before half time and the ball reached Finlay Reeves in the penalty area. He turned and shot, the ball leaving Fred Burbidge able only to watch as it bobbled into the net off the far post.
Ware struggled to get back on terms but with the prospect of a first win in six games their opponents started to defend as though their lives depended on it. Frankly the visitors just couldn’t raise their game enough despite running through all the options available on the bench.
Ware pushed forward in the last minutes looking for an equaliser but they were left open at the back and in one break three Aylesbury players had just one defender to meet tham. Finlay Titchmarsh chased down Reeves and denied him a chance to pass to his colleagues and instead he was forced to shoot wide.
A second break by the home side required Burbidge to make a flying save to deny them another goal. It was about the only clear save he had had to make all afternoon. It was just that sort of match.
Both keepers were in yellow which didn’t matter much until right at the end when Ware had a free kick and Burbidge went up into the home penalty area. It came to nothing but the site of two players on opposite sides but both all in yellow reminded one that for Ware at least this had been a lemon of a game.
Line-ups and cards.
Ware: Fred Burbidge, Gabriel Ward (Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo 67mins), Finlay Titchmarsh, Sami Moutawafiq, Jack Grosvenor (C) (Jay Rolfe 61mins), Sam Mayuma, Max Granville (Leigh Rose 83mins), Reece Beckles-Richards, Johnny Allotey (Freddie Higgs 57mins), Josh Okotcha.
Yellow card: Sami Moutawafiq 10mins.
Red card: Sami Moutawafiq (second yellow) 55mins.
Aylesbury United: Jack Hopwood, Liam Morgan, Jake Bewley, Jack Wood (C), Kian Henry, Frankie Bircham, James Bone (Hayden Beadle 87mins), Abdullah Jellal (Sonny French 46mins), Finlay Reeves (Jobe Gorst 94mins), Rocko Tamplin (Powfil Raposo 67mins), Fabian Garcia (Lee Stobbs 79mins).
Yellow card: Abdullah Jellal 12mins
