Hoping for a Halloween treat, Ware welcomed Aylesbury United to Wodson Park on October 31st for a Southern League Central Division six-pointer. Some one hundred years after the first instalment of this meeting, the two sides entered the fixture in the relegation zone and in desperate need of points. The Blues held the slightly better recent record, collecting five points from their previous five league fixtures compared to The Ducks’ four, although neither side had enjoyed particularly convincing form.
Leigh Rose captained the home side and was the only change to Ware’s starting eleven following their midweek defeat to London Lions. The central defender lined up alongside Jay Rolfe and Josh Okotcha in an experimental 3-4-3 formation deployed by manager Paul Halsey. Matthew Ireland and Riley Warmerdam occupied the wingback positions, allowing Ware to adopt a more attacking approach. Okotcha’s inclusion also marked his 100th appearance in Ware colours.
Less than a minute had elapsed before Josh Hutchinson was presented with an early opportunity but the off-balance striker could only volley the ball into the midriff of Aylesbury goalkeeper Jack Hopwood. The visitors responded by forcing Fred Burbidge into an attempted clearance outside his penalty area, although the ball took an awkward deflection beyond the advancing goalkeeper. Fortunately for Ware, Rose was on hand to clear from the goal line and prevent Aylesbury from capitalising on their slice of luck.
Both sides made a relatively positive start, although it was Ware who enjoyed the better spells of possession. The Blues displayed some slick one-touch football in the opposition half, while Aylesbury posed a persistent threat through long lofted passes over the wingbacks and into the space behind the home defence.
It was Ware’s tidy approach that eventually broke the deadlock in the fourteenth minute though. Rolfe’s long throw was left unattended in the six-yard area and fell kindly to Anthony Wordsworth, who was waiting at the back post to turn home from close range.
Unfortunately, Ware suffered another injury setback shortly after taking the lead in their right sided defensive department. Warmerdam’s Wodson Park debut was brought to an early conclusion, forcing Halsey into an unwanted substitution. Rechan Esprit entered the action and took up the right wingback position.
Approaching the half-hour mark, Aylesbury threatened from a corner but Burbidge reacted impressively to dive towards his near post and keep out a goal-bound header. A sluggish and unpolished spell of play followed, allowing the visitors to look the more dangerous of the two sides.
Five minutes before the interval, however, Ware doubled their advantage. Ireland drove towards the left byline before cutting the ball back outside the area. Esprit cleverly allowed it to run through him, deceiving the defensive line and leaving Wordsworth with the opportunity to drag the ball across Hopwood from the edge of the penalty arc. The midfielder made no mistake, completing his brace and giving the Blues a valuable two-goal cushion.
Ware were tasked with maintaining their advantage before the break, although Aylesbury were handed an opportunity to reduce the deficit in the closing minutes of the half. Wil Turner pounced on a loose touch from Rose and flashed an inviting ball across the face of goal but none of his teammates gambled on the delivery at the far post.
Neither manager made changes at the interval, as the second half resumed with Ware holding a comfortable advantage courtesy of Wordsworth’s first-half double. Rose was forced off shortly after the restart, prompting Halsey to revert to a more familiar flat back four. Max Granville moved into the right-back position as Ware adjusted to another enforced change.
The Blues appeared intent on putting the result beyond doubt and almost found their third through an audacious effort from Hutchinson, whose looping attempt from a tight angle narrowly failed to find the net. Substitute Theo Ofori made no such mistake. Showing close control to take the cross away from Hutchinson’s boot, the winger finished emphatically from close range to give Ware the third goal they were searching for.
In the aftermath, Halsey switched Sam Mayuma to the right flank and moved Ofori across to the left. Unfortunately, the latter’s spell on the opposite wing was abruptly cut short by an apparent injury. Ware were forced into another change, as Halsey turned to newcomer Jahvarn Stewart, the 173rd player to feature under the longstanding manager.
With approximately fifteen minutes remaining, the result was all but secured and Halsey also handed Herbie Townsend a welcome return to the playing field. The tempo dropped considerably by this stage, with possession frequently recycled and the second half lacking the crisp passing patterns displayed before the interval.
Aylesbury did manage to find pockets of space in the final third but Burbidge remained equal to their efforts. The goalkeeper produced an important stop with his foot to deny a point-blank strike and preserve his clean sheet.
The final notable opportunity arrived in the fourth minute of added time. Hutchinson worked hard to regain possession for the Blues before releasing Wordsworth, who laid the ball into Stewart’s path. The substitute’s effort sailed over the crossbar, bringing the final attacking moment of the afternoon to a close shortly before the full-time whistle.
Ware’s second league victory at Wodson Park proved particularly valuable given the results elsewhere. The Blues were one of just two teams in the bottom half to collect all three points, moving to within a point of 18th-placed Biggleswade Town, who occupied the first position outside of the relegation zone. They also retain between one and three games in hand on the sides positioned thirteenth or lower.
Although Ware remain in the bottom four, the result leaves them in a considerably more encouraging position than some of their struggling relegation rivals. A three-goal victory, a clean sheet and a valuable contribution from Wordsworth provided a much-needed boost as the Blues look to build some momentum.
Line-ups and cards
Ware: Fred Burbidge, Matty Ireland (Herbie Townsend 73mins), Max Granville, Leigh Rose (C) (Theo Ofori 53mins (Jahvarn Stewart 72mins)), Josh Okotcha, Riley Warmerdam (Rechan Esprit 21mins), Jack Taylor (Rylee Kitteringham 81mins), Sam Mayuma, Anthony Wordsworth, Jay Rolfe.
Yellow card: Josh Okotcha 59mins.
Aylesbury United: Jack Hopwood, Aaron Onginjo (Pooya Karimi 40mins), Jake Bewley (C), Bakari Daffeh, Chase Matthew, Frankie Bircham, Wil Turner (Rocko Tamplin 65mins), Nathan Brown, Ike Okwusogu (Aaron Gray 89mins), Sonny French (Sam Bajaha 77mins), Finlay Reeves. Unused sub: Marvin Emmanuel.
Yellow card: Ike Okwusogu 56mins.
