What a change from Tuesday night’s morale sapping result at Leverstock Green. Players, manager and supporters were in a much better frame of mind as they bathed in the after glow of a performance that looked so much more like that of a Paul Halsey team of the past. With other results going their way it also lifted Ware off the bottom of the table.
The difference showed in a team that competed well in all aspects of the game. They looked determined to put recent bad results behind them. A private heart to heart between the players at Thursday’s training will doubtless have had something to do with that.
Not to be dismissed either was the appearance of Leigh Rose for his first game and as captain on the day. There is that indefinable something when, originally, the Rose brothers played in Halsey’s team. A feeling that all is right with the world. That they could transmit the manager’s passion and feeling into the game.
Louis is no longer with us but Leigh, back from his Berlin marathon exertions, was in the side. It may be fanciful stuff but still, the vibes felt right and so it proved.
Not that this was a one-sided game but you couldn’t help but notice the attitude and atmosphere amongst the players. It was a return to what we expect from Halsey’s team. Not only were they going to put an end to a losing streak but over the ninety minutes, if anyone was going to win the game it looked most likely to be them.
It’s hard to choose any one player from a good all round team performance but Jack Taylor always seemed to be involved. As a midfielder he was naturally at the centre of things for much of the time but the quality of that involvement was down to the player. He was disrupting opponents’ play, winning the ball and distributing it intelligently. It was his best game since his debut period last season.
But there were good performances throughout starting with Fred Burbidge’s save from Ryan Smith just past the half hour mark. A low shot from the edge of the area and bouncing awkwardly was clawed away before Burbidge raced to recover the ball from Kyle Boyce.
At the other end of the pitch Ware were having plenty of pressure with the corner count five to one in their favour by half time. Rechan Esprit has become adept at floating dangerous corners in to the penalty area but he’s also good with crosses from out wide. On nine minutes he floated one just beyond the far post with Gucci Soulya not quite able to get his head to it.
Soulya was at it himself with a good cross ten minutes from half time into the six yard area. Esprit met the cross just outside the six yard area, his downward header bouncing up and swatted away by Tom Ladyman in the Irish’s goal.
Ladyman had a good game and proved it a few minutes later. Khale Da Costa won the ball off two Irish players in his own half then spotted Sam Mayuma bursting through the opposition defence. His lofted pass dropped into Mayuma’s path and the Ware number eleven ran on with it into the penalty area. Ladyman came out to block the shot which bounced up off his body. It might still have dropped in the net but the block had given enough time for Clinton Zawe to get back and head the ball clear.
In a game where either side might have clinched the points there was much tension as the game wore on. Defenders kept a close watch on attackers and there was much grappling, almost cuddling as arms were wrapped round bodies. This led to claims and counter claims for fouls which were often allowed to pass.
Yet in this atmosphere tempers frayed and yellow cards were produced, Ware getting the bigger share and all in the last fifteen minutes. One at least was unnecessary with Esprit taking some of the gloss off his good game by kicking the ball away when a free kick had been awarded.
Even so it had been a good performance from Ware and deserving of the point at least. The task now is to reproduce this form in future games which, Tuesday’s Senior Cup game aside, comes in the form of a home game with Hadley next Saturday..
Line-ups and cards
Ware: Fred Burbidge, Josh Okotcha (Finlay Titchmarsh 74mins), David Sota, Jack Taylor, Leigh Rose (C), Jay Rolfe, Jack Grosvenor, Khale Da Costa (Theo Ofori 66mins), Gucci Soulya, Reece Beckles-Richards (Josh Hutchinson 82mins), Rechan Esprit, Sam Mayuma. Unused subs: Herbie Townsend, Jack Grosvenor.
Yellow cards: Finlay Titchmarsh 79mins, Reece Beckles-Richards 82mins, Jack Taylor 91mins, Rechan Esprit 93 mins.
Milton Keynes Irish: Tom Ladyman, Clinton Zawe, Freddy Joyce (Stephen Brooks 52mins), Callum Hirst, Nathan Smith, Kyle Boyce (Nathan Amaning 62mins), Ryan Smith (C) (Ben Farrell 62mins), James Meadows (Jude Carey 78mins), George Shrieves, Matthew Haworth, Nat Beecher. Unused sub: Oliver Kalek.
Yellow cards: James Meadows 66mins, Nathan Amaning 82mins.
