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The top of Ryman
Division One North is a little bit like a game of Snakes and Ladders,
unfortunately, Edgware stepped on a snakes head today losing 1-0 to AFC
Sudbury and sliding down from fourth to eighth position in the table.
This was the third 1-0 result in the games between Edgware and Sudbury
and Edgware’s second visit to their King’s Marsh ground. However,
today's encounter was a tight game with Edgware being denied a first
half penalty that would have surely changed the end result in their
favour.
Edgware kicked off the match, but it was Sudbury who forced an opening
minute corner when Jason Ferneé put the ball behind. Stuart Boardley’s
delivery from the right was flat and an easy clearance for the Edgware
defence, again marshalled by Fergus Moore in the absence of injured
skipper Rory Smith.
At
the other end Adam Wallace stretched the home defence by running at pace
and delivering a dangerous cross from the right wing. Stuart Blackburne
received the ball, but dragged his shot just wide 6 minutes in. Edgware
had started well and in the ninth minute Blackburne cut into the home
penalty area and squared for Denis Maharajan, but his shot was straight
into the arms of Nathan Munson in the home goal.
Three minutes later came what was to be the defining point of the game
when Wallace was clearly brought down in the area by Munson. However,
referee Peter Wilson waved away Edgware appeals for a penalty which
would have meant sending off the big keeper.
On the quarter-hour a free-kick from midfield delivered by Adil Salih
was headed over the Sudbury crossbar by Richard Morton. Sudbury
responded with Stuart Boardley’s long throw from the left being volleyed
wide by Simon Head. Chris Bacon tried his luck from 30 yards but the
ball sailed safely over the Wares goal
Edgware were dominating the game with the Sudbury defence working
desperately to repel the danger. Dave Taylor won a corner off Gareth
Simpson. delivered by Salih, Morton headed goalwards with Moore diving
forward but slightly off target 20 minutes in. Salih sent another
free-kick into the penalty area from the left but Stuart Blackburne,
turning on the shoulder of his defender, was judged off side and then
Munson was fortunate to deny Wallace who headed goal-wards from
point-blank range only to see the Sudbury keeper leap to his right to
turn the ball away. ‘Man of the Match’ Denis Maharajan was a powerhouse
in midfield and combining with Blackburne he set up Gavin Hart who
headed the ball at the bottom corned of the visitors goal but Munson
turned it round the post. Then just past 25 minutes Blackburne’s
powerful header at goal was punched out by the busy home keeper.
However, the visitors were not having it all their own way, David Head
headed Boardley’s corner kick towards the Edgware goal, but the save was
straightforward for Rob Blackburne. Then Broadly and Chris Bacon
combined to set up Garath Simpson but he headed well over with 40
minutes gone. Blackburne’s speculative lob from the right wing went
deceptively close to the top corner of Munson’s goal just before the
half time whistle.
Sudbury took the lead minutes after the restart. Winning another corner
this time Luke Hammond delivered into the area and David Head rose first
in a crowd of players to head home. This was developing into end to end
football and Edgware were fortunate when a back header was a little
short for keeper Blackburne and he had to rush out of his area to kick
the ball clear.
David Head volleyed wide and Wallace was pushed down again by Munson,
the referee for the second time seeing nothing wrong. Maharajan had a
shot from long range which went wide with less than 15 minutes left. The
Wares were fighting for the equaliser but apart from a couple of half
chances falling to Hart, Sudbury shut up shop.
A big
disappointment for Edgware’s travelling faithful, losing a game which
they dominated for long periods and being denied a blatant penalty early
on. The Wares now having to beat Dartford at the White Lion next
Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
EDGWARE: R
Blackburne, F Moore, Hart, McKay, Salih, Ferneé, Taylor (Killick),
Morton, S Blackburne (Rispoli), Wallace(Ingham), Maharajan.
OTHER SUBS: Lockie,
Bonfield
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