Next up – Barton Rovers
Saturday, 7th March 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-barton-rovers/
The match
Like us, our opponents have lost two promotion play-off finals. Like us they are on the edge of making the play-offs again this season. It is perhaps unlikely that we will both make it into the top five in the table so this match takes on some significance. Defeat won’t end the chances of either club but it will place more pressure on their remaining fixtures.
Form guide
Ware continue to blow hot and cold and will be without influential midfielder Sami Moutawafiq, red carded at Aylesbury last week. On the other hand the return of Max Granville to a regular place in the middle is a consolation. Last week’s poor performance and defeat came after two very convincing wins. The hope is that the team can recapture that form on Saturday.
Rovers are one place and three points better off than us with a game in hand so hold an advantage. That said, other than a 4-1 win at relegation threatened Rayners Lane they haven’t won an away game since November 8th. Their last trip brought a 6-2 defeat at Hertford.
Previous Meetings
There have been 44 previous games with Barton including the first in November 1982. So, pretty much one a year on average since then. We won that Isthmian League game 2-0 at Buryfield with goals from Phil Rex and Gary Robinson. That result set something of a trend with eleven of our meetings, that’s 25%, ending 2-0 to one or other of us. Draws haven’t been that common, just five with five goals each. Of the remaining 38 matches we have won 18. The away game back on November 18th saw us go down 1-0 in a close fought match.
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 https://90minuteslivefootball.mixlr.com/events/4847623
Match Officials
Two of Saturday’s officials are officiating at a Ware game for the first time this season, referee Gerry Heron and assistant referee Daniel Davis. The other assistant referee is Alistair Potter who took charge of our first home game of the season, the 5-0 FA Cup win over AFC Welwyn. He may notice that there are eight changes in our squad since that day. One ever present is Rechan Esprit (pictured) who scored the opening goal in that game and is available for the Barton match.
Sunday’s youth football
There are two EJA games for you on Sunday. Entry is free and the club room and tea bar are open throughout. At 10am the under-16s meet Harlow Town for league points, followed at midday by the under-13s against Wingate & Finchley also in a league game.
There is also the final of the Herts FA Challenge Cup for under-15s in which our boys take on Welwyn Garden City. The game is at the county ground in Letchworth (SG6 2EN) and kicks off at 12.15. Admission (contactless only) is £6 for adults and £4 for concessions. U12s are free. There is no parking in the ground.
