The last time these two sides met in league competition Ware were beaten 5-1. Ninety-seven years later it looked possible that it would be the same again or even worse. The visitors just needed another goal to repeat that earlier victory with more than half an hour left. It wouldn’t have been undeserved either because Hitchin had controlled the game and outplayed the home side for much of the time.
In fact it turned out to be Ware who scored next when Theo Ofori cut inside Callum Kane and laid the ball across the pitch. It went beyond Max Granville allowing Rechan Esprit to spot the chance to run onto the ball and power it low into the net from 25 yards. It was a great shot but that was of little consolation with just ten minutes left. There was to be no “Roy of the Rovers” comeback and Ware looked unlikely to score again.
How different from the opening minutes when Ware, kicking towards the home end, took the initiative to press Hitchin back. It took three minutes to get a reward when this time Esprit provided the assist by pulling the ball back across the Hitchin area and Ofori closed in to fire home off a deflection from just outside the six yard box.
No joy for the Blues.
It was just the start they needed but the advantage was squandered two minutes later. Josh Coldicott-Stevens free kick from the left on the edge of the penalty area was lofted towards the six yard box. The Ware defence seemed to part like the Red Sea leaving Blue Joy to head home unchallenged.
Can there be a turning point so early in a game? From then on Hitchin started to take over and as the half progressed they came into the game more and more. By the midpoint they were in full control, moving the ball around with speed, skill and purpose. In contrast Ware seemed to be running out of ideas.
This was all emphasised when Stephen Gleeson brought the ball into the Ware area before playing in Lewis Franklin who hammered it first time straight over Ben Nightingale who looked to have had no real chance.
A brief spell before half time saw Ware making some progress towards an equaliser but it was all a little unconvincing. Ware were mostly onlookers and the best that could be hoped for was to reach half time without further damage.
They made it to the break but any hopes that there would be a change after the resumption were dented then extinguished. Firstly, when Franklin broke through the home defence to score a goal that just looked too easy and then when Coldicott-Stevens picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and drove it home.
Such was Hitchin’s dominance that with more than half an hour left Ware looked as though they could suffer a real embarrassment. The defence needed changing and initially two substitutions brought on David Sota back for his first appearance since injury in July and Jay Rolfe, also out since the win at Milton Keynes.
This did make a difference, enough to put Hitchin into coasting mode as much as anything. Even so Nightingale needed to make a save on the goal line to keep the score at 4-1. Further changes made little difference though the surprise return of Johnny Allotey from Wingate & Finchley seemed like a present to put away for better times.
Strength in depth
Ware will point to the absence through injury of two players who have played key roles in the preceding seven match undefeated run but it’s a squad game. At the moment there appears not to be the depth in the squad to enable them to ride out injury problems.
Hitchin on the other hand look to be well set on the strength of this performance. A quick survey of Ware supporters leaving the game at the end brought the view that they were the best team seen at Wodson this season.
Line-ups and cards.
Ware: Ben Nightingale, Finlay Titchmarsh (David Sota 55mins), George Alfieri, Max Granville (Gabriel Chapps 79mins), Josh Okotcha, Bendie Idikayi (Jay Rolfe 55mins), Theo Ofori, Sami Moutawafiq, Reece Beccles-Richards (C) (Caiden Remy-Dee 62mins), Rechan Esprit, Sam Mayuma (Johnny Allotey 62mins).
Yellow card: Max Granville 28mins.
Hitchin Town: Alfie Bonfield, Josh Jackson, Callum Kane, Blue Joy, Charlie Briggs, Ciaren Jones, Josh Coldicott-Stevens (Toby Syme 86mins), Stephen Gleeson (Kye Tearle 66mins), Liam Brooks (Taylor Rhiney 72mins), Lewis Franklin (Will McNeil 96mins), Callum Nicholson. Unused sub: Diogo Freitas-Gouveia.
Yellow Cards: Charlie Briggs 41mins, Josh Coldicott-Stevens 69mins.
