Next up – Northwood
Saturday, 21st February at Wodson Park, SG12 0UQ.
Pitching in Southern League, Divison One (Central); kick off 3pm.
Admission
Admission (card 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-northwood/
The match
Our fifth home game of 2026 finds us in need of a win if we are to put some meat on the bones of our play-off hopes. We drew the away meeting 1-1 (Recce Beckles-Richards) in a difficult game to describe. The report of that match is here. We will be hoping to do better this time as we start to sense the end period of the season. It’s a small blip on the radar at the moment but it’s coming and we need to start picking up points.
For Northwood the need is even greater as they sit in the relegation zone five points and a worse goal difference from safety. Joint managers Jack Smith & JJ Bates left their posts in January and the club is still looking for a permanent replacement. Northwood have been at Step 4 or above ever since the National League System was introduced. Their status has been hard earned and they will be anxious to avoid losing it.
Form guide
They’ve struggled in that resolve for much of the season. Recent results have not been encouraging and they have two wins in their last twelve games. One of those was against the even more troubled Rayners Lane. They’ve been knocking in just over a goal game in those twelve matches.
What’s to be said about Ware? We’ve taken just one point from five games this year. Yet we know we are better than that. This is surely the time to prove it. Paul Halsey was bemoaning the absence of players again after last week’s defeat but Sam Mayuma (pictured) was back on the bench and surely will get a chance to take to the pitch this week.
Previous Meetings – honours even
There have been seventeen meetings so far and both sides have won seven of them. The first, back on February 1st 2000, saw Northwood win the Isthmian Associate Members Trophy game at Wodson Park 3-2 with our goals coming from Andy Keepence and Lee Gildersleve. Incidentally our manager back then was Steve Ringrose now Director of Football at Northwood. We’ve also lost on penalties to Northwood in the Southern League Cup in 2015/6.
We’ve done better in league games with the December 2007 meeting at the Park seeing us take a 2-0 lead in the first 63 seconds of the game thanks to Chris Ellerbeck and Paul Burton. Steve Horsey and Chris again completed what was a 4-1 win. We’ve had another 4-1 home win and a 5-1 success too but don’t get over confident. We also lost 6-0 away back in 2009.
90minuteslive
Pete and Symon will be at the game if you can’t make it yourself. They’ll be broadcasting commentary from 2.55 at https://90minuteslivefootball.mixlr.com/events/4847615
Match officials
To be announced.
Complete your weekend football with Sunday’s youth games
Sunday has three EJA games for you. Entry is free and the club room and tea bar are open throughout. At 10am the under-15s meet Norsemen for league points, followed at midday by the under-17s against Edgware & Kingsbury also in a league game and then at 2pm the under-18s face Concord Rangers in the knock out Plate competition.
