It would be hard to concede six goals and claim you were robbed. Ware started out brightly and seemed to be enjoying their trip to south Herts. But with ten minutes to half time they were mugged, opened their wallets and said help yourself. Hadley said thank you and did, handing Ware their first away defeat in eight games.
The preview for this match put forward the idea that things in games between these two clubs often go in pairs. We shouldn’t be surprised then that Hadley took a hold on the game with two goals in two minutes of the first half. One a header following a free kick when Isaac Stones got between two defenders, the other a fine shot from the edge of the area by Romey Meoded.
Following the pairing theme Hadley bagged another two goals in two minutes in the second half. Meoded got his second, this time with a shot from within the penalty area before Lenny Asamoah got the first of what would be a hat trick. The ball slipped under Josh Okotcha’s foot and the Hadley number nine was away, giving Ben Nightingale no chance with a low shot.
People on both sides pointed out Charles Taylor’s save from Theo Ofori early in the second half, deflecting his shot with his legs. Had that gone in Ware, at 2-1 down, might have had a chance of recovery. However, their inability to hold the line at 4-0 suggests that might be wishful thinking.
It was left to Asamoah to put the final nails in Ware’s coffin. With twenty minutes to go he somehow slipped the ball into the far corner of the Ware net whilst under pressure from a defender. Seven minutes later, looking more a poacher than mugger, he rounded Jay Rolfe and lobbed Nightingale as he came forward from the goal line.
What’s to be said about such a demolition? Ware had started brightly and it took some time for Hadley to get a foothold in the game. When they did they slowly gained an ascendancy and it was not a complete surprise when they opened the scoring. A second before half time was harder to take but it was symptomatic of Ware’s game.
This was more apparent in the second half. Ware had plenty of possession and territory, arguably more than the home side but rarely got a scoring chance to test Taylor. At the other end of the pitch they had a right back at left back and a midfielder at right back. With Jack Grosvenor still missing in the centre it was something of a makeshift back four. This was what Hadley were able to exploit.
Ware eventually got a goal. Sami Moutawafiq had already put over a couple of good corners and with nine minutes left dropped another into the area in front of Hadley’s goal. Gabriel Chapps, on at half time after Herbie Townsend’s shoulder played up again, was lurking at the far side of the six yard area. Judging the flight of the ball, he moved in to meet it. His shadow, Bobby Webb, followed but then unaccountably left Chapps unguarded to glance a free header into the net.
The goal didn’t prevent it being Ware’s heaviest defeat since the 7-1 drubbing at Bedford two years before. The silver lining to the comparison is that after the Bedford defeat Ware went on to reach the play-offs. Will they do it again?
Line-ups and cards.
Ware: Ben Nightingale, Finlay Titchmarsh, Sami Moutawafiq, Max Granville (Caiden Remy-Dee 56mins), Josh Okotcha, Jay Rolfe, Theo Ofori (Johnny Allotey 56mins), Herbie Townsend (Gabriel Chapps 45mins), Reece Beccles-Richards (C), Gucci Soulya-Oskanongo, Sam Mayuma. Unused subs: Rechan Esprit, Bendie Idikayi.
Yellow cards: Sam Mayuma 4mins, Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo 71mins.
Hadley: Charles Taylor, Prince Kandolo, Bobby Webb, Billy Hayes (Richard Ennin 32mins), Luke Massingham (Alvin Kyremeh 66mins), Hedley Ogbebor, Antonio Paone-Michael (Cheik Hamed Zidouemba 78mins), Cameron Ferguson, Lenny Asamoah, Isaac Stones (Jordan Edwards 73mins), Romey Meoded. Unused sub: Alphonso Kennedy.
Yellow cards: Prince Kandolo 4mins, Bobby Webb 88mins.
