Given the bitterly cold weather there was a reasonably large crowd for this game. Some at least would have come hoping for Ware to repeat the previous week’s performance. They would have been disappointed. Ware had the same starting line-up as for the game at Hertford but as assistant manager Dean Harrison put it “we never really got going”.
The game’s flow wasn’t helped by two long delays in the first half. One after Josh Okotcha took a boot to the head and needed to be bandaged up, the other for Jack Taylor who seemed to catch his studs on the playing surface and was stretchered off (see picture).
The diagnosis was ligament trouble and the prognosis an absence of six weeks on the sidelines. After the club’s significant injury problems especially the loss of Herbie Townsend, Taylor’s arrival had coincided with a return to the form and the results of September and October. The club now has to cope with losing another key midfielder.
The immediate solution was to bring on Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo and Ware actually started to put some play together after the disruption to earlier proceedings. Theo Ofori was put through on one of those runs of his but he was clearly offside and nothing came of it which seemed to sum up much of the afternoon for Ware.
Ofori is one who can inject something into a game but not this time and he seemed to suffer from the same malaise as his team mates. Ware were putting nothing together to offer him any chances and spent much of the half coping with a skilful and well balanced Biggleswade side.
The visitors had plenty of possession and territory but rarely came close to worrying Max Woodford in the Ware goal. One shot was palmed away but looked to be going just wide as Biggleswade sought to get something from a defence that was blocking everything they fired at it.
The half time talk amongst supporters might have been about the possibility of Ware turning the game around but despite the home side perking up after the break, play was much the same. Biggleswade were quicker in thought and deed, played accurate passes around the ground and continued to put pressure on the home defence.
Biggleswade got a break through when Alex Marsh went down in the penalty area after what looked like a collision with Jay Rolfe. If Ware thought the award was harsh they had compensation when Woodford saved Marsh’s penalty. Diving to his left, perhaps a shade early, he grasped the ball at the second attempt almost on the six yard line.
The reprieve lasted less than five minutes. Sonny Coughlin-Brown’s corner from the Ware right was headed into the mix of players on the goal line with Daniel Bond getting the touch that took it over the line though, with his back to goal, he probably didn’t know too much about it. It was that sort of game.
By this time Josh Hutchinson had replaced Ofori as Ware opted for two out and out strikers to enliven things. There was some success with this policy and a lively Hutchinson sent one shot past the post.
Even so it was not until the final minutes that Ware had their first corner with a second soon following. Like the crosses put in earlier they were cleared by the Biggleswade defence and the game finally fizzled out to a deserved win for the visitors.
Line-ups and cards.
Ware: Max Woodford, Gabriel Ward, Josh Okotcha, Sami Moutawafiq, Jay Rolfe, Jack Grosvenor (C), Rechan Esprit (Gabriel Chapps 82mins), Jack Taylor (Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo 21mins), Reece Beckles-Richards, Theo Ofori (Josh Hutchinson 61mins), David Sota. Unused subs: Max Granville, Freddie Higgs.
Yellow cards: Josh Okotcha 53mins, Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo 66mins, Jack Grosvenor 75mins.
Biggleswade: Liam Coyne, Adam Hunt, Lawrie Marsh (C), Michael Fisher, Leo Jenkins, Conor Inskip (Bradley Bell 78mins), Alex Marsh, Rio Martucci, Daniel Bond, George Bailey (Charlie Hayford 80mins), Sonny Coughlin-Brown. Unused subs: Temi Akinbusoye, Billy Baird, Luke Oswick.
Yellow cards: Daniel Bond 45+1 mins, Michael Fisher 57mins.
