For the second week running Ware were reduced to ten men. At least on this occasion it wasn’t their keeper who was dismissed nor was it quite so early in the game. Even so they had to play three quarters of the match without Jay Rolfe who was adjudged to have prevented a goal scoring opportunity when his raised arm deflected the ball over the bar.
It appeared to be a pivotal moment as Ware had just fought back from two down to equalise. They now found themselves behind again after James Meadows put away the penalty kick. It looked like being a backs to the wall session but there was just the hint of hope given by Ware’s performance up to that point.
They had started the game well and the home side didn’t escape from their own half until three minutes in. But when they did Owen Brooks brought the ball through a couple of tackles before releasing it to Ryan Smith. He struck it powerfully beyond the diving Logan Timothy who had no chance.
Despite the set back Ware continued to have the better of the game but couldn’t find an opening. “The Irish” saw little of the play until Timothy turned a long range effort from Harry Guess round the post. The delayed corner came over from Ware’s right to the far post where Oliver Kalek headed home unchallenged.
One goal against the run of play could be seen as unlucky, two raised the question of the defence’s ability, especially with the need to protect the club’s Under-18 goal keeper. However, such questions were put aside almost immediately.
From the restart Theo Ofori outpaced his defender, cut inside and played the ball across the area to Reece Beckles-Richards. The striker was forced to turn away and give himself some space further out but no matter. He turned and drilled the ball low into the corner of Tom Ladyman’s goal. Beckles-Richards had his first goal for the club and we had a contest!
Three minutes later it was Ofori again, this time bringing the ball into the area but riding tackles as he engineered a shooting opportunity rather than a pass. He found the moment and shot beyond Ladyman for the equaliser.
Ware looked set to press on for the lead but that was all undone by the red card. Much of the rest of the game was now something of a rearguard action but MK Irish failed to make the most of the situation.
Meanwhile Ware looked for opportunities where they could and might have had an equaliser two minutes into added time when Rechan Esprit’s shot was parried onto the goal post before being cleared.
The second half was similar but the home side’s shooting was wayward, their best effort coming on 70 minutes when Mason Spence’s long range shot was tipped over by Timothy who had a good game. The thought that Ware might yet pull off an equaliser started to take shape. This was underlined when Sam Mayuma’s shot was turned away by Ladyman who then clawed away the resulting in swinging corner leaving a strong suspicion that at least part of the ball had been over the line.
The loss of a central defender had seen Sami Moutawafiq drop back into a more defensive role. This gave Herbie Townsend the chance to show what he can do in midfield and he had his best game so far for the club.
He was eventually replaced by Max Granville, a reflection of the amount of work he had got through but also of the thoughtful use of substitutes by the Ware bench. All five had taken the field by the end of the game as Ware sought to maintain their involvement in the game.
That involvement took positive shape on 82 minutes when Sam Mayuma’s well-placed equaliser from the edge of the penalty area gave Ladyman no chance. Mayuma was immediately substituted either to bring on the more defensive Huseyin Yildiz to help preserve the point or to give him a rest after another good afternoon’s work. Maybe both.
Certainly, preserving the point didn’t seem to be the only policy and Ware continued to find opportunities. One such just three minutes later brought the winner. Caiden Remy-Dee benefitted from a through ball and despite pressure from a defender got behind the home defence to slip it past the advancing Ladyman.
This result, after two defeats, will be a boost to morale though there won’t be a chance to see the effect for two weeks. That’s when Rayners Lane visit Wodson Park for the first meeting between the clubs since 1962.
Teams and crime sheet.
Ware: Logan Timothy, Finlay Titchmarsh (Gabriel Chapps 79mins), Josip Jevdjic (George Alfieri 56mins), Sami Moutawafiq, Jack Grosvenor, Jay Rolfe, Theo Ofori, Herbie Townsend (Max Granville 72mins), Reece Beckles-Richards (Caiden Remy-Dee 79mins), Rechan Esprit, Sam Mayuma (Huseyin Yildiz 83mins).
Red card: Jay Rolfe 22 minutes. Yellow cards: Rechan Esprit 37 minutes, Theo Ofori 45+4 minutes, Finlay Titchmarsh 59 minutes.
Milton Keynes Irish: Tom Ladyman, Nathan Smith, Harry Guess, Matthew Haworth, Oliver Kalek, Ryan Smith, James Meadows (Kelvin Osei-Addo 86mins), Owen Brooks, Stepeh Brooks (Kyle Boyce 62mins), Ryan Kelsey (Harry Coleman 86mins), Mason Spence.
Yellow cards: Ryan Smith 17 minutes, Stephen Brooks 56 minutes.
