Next up – AFC Dunstable
Saturday, 11th April at Wodson Park, SG12 0UQ.
Pitching in Southern League, Divison One (Central); kick off 3pm.
Admission
Admission (contactless 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-afc-dunstable/
The match
It’s a last visit from AFC Dunstable before they merge with Dunstable Town in time for next season. What name the new club will adopt is still not clear but whatever name they play under we wish them well. For Ware it is the penultimate home game of a season that hasn’t quite managed to deliver a play-off place. There is though still the chance to improve our final position in the table.
Form guide
Since the decision on their merger the ODs have let a lot of players go and fielded sides that have struggled to pick up points. Since the turn of the year they have played fourteen games and lost all but one, a nil-nil draw at home to Stotfold. In that time they have scored two goals and conceded seventy-nine. They will presumably travel to Ware with little expectation of even a draw though it should be pointed out that their next best result after that draw with Stotfold was a 2-0 home defeat against us.
So what about us? Our recent good run was brought to a halt at Biggleswade so supporters will be expecting us to get back to winning ways. The squad is strong enough now to have no worries about its ability to secure three points.
Previous Meetings
Sixteen meetings in all starting in 2018 with a series of five friendly games of which we won two and lost one. The ending of Covid restrictions saw us moved across to the Southern League allowing us to meet in competitive football. We won both home and away in that first season and also met the ODs in a play-off semi-final. That game was perhaps the most memorable one of the sixteen so far and you can read the report from it here. Seven further league meetings since then have resulted in three wins for Ware and two defeats. Our most recent game saw us successful by 2-0 in March. There has been one other meeting, an FA Cup preliminary round game at Wodson Park on 19th August 2023. A 2-1 home win with goals from Mitch Hahn and Theo Ofori.
One constant through much of this has been Leigh Rose who scored a hat trick in the first friendly between the clubs, scored again in the first league meeting and may well be playing in our last game with AFC.
Commentary
Pete and Symon will be at Wodson Park for those who can’t make the game. Their commentary will start at 2.55 and can be found at 90minuteslivefootball.mixlr.com/events/4965672
Match Officials
We welcome all three match officials to Wodson Park for this match. Our referee is Steven Marr and the assistants are Daniel Hawkins and Alan Steward. Mr Steward ran the line for our 4-2 home defeat to Hitchin Town back in late October.
Sunday’s EJA football – there isn’t any
There are two EJA games at Wodson Park on Sunday with the under-14s ending their league season with a home game against Cheshunt at 10am. Then at midday the under-18s kick off against Enfield Town for the first of their final three league games. As always entry is free and the clubroom and tea bar will be open throughout.
