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The
Supporters View
Division One North
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Edgware again showed that they can play neat passing football in difficult conditions, beating a very physical Witham Town side 2-1 this afternoon.
The Wares kicked off into a strong wind and Denis Maharajan had a goal bound shot headed away when he connected with Adil Salih’s free kick in the first minutes. Adam Wallace was brought down just outside the area when he turned his marker and it was obvious from this point that the ‘Town’ players were going to give no quarter.
At the other end David Hawes picked up on a long clearance and fired at goal but the Ware’s keeper Rob Blackburne saved easily. Salih was making some incisive runs down the right and with 5 minutes gone he fired a cross into the area that was just too far in front of Greg Ngoyi running in, Rhys Madden the home keeper turning the ball round the post. From the resultant corner Salih floated the ball high into the area, Paul Marks brought it down for Ngoyi but the lithe striker was blocked by a posse of defenders.
The best chance the home side had in the first half was from a free kick 10 yards outside the visitors area but Cody McDonald’s kick was skyed over the Wares goal. Mitchell Lowes did force keeper Blackburne to push the ball round his post when set up by Julian Edwards 20 minutes in and a couple of minutes later Phil Goodwin's speculative 25 yard drive went wide.
Paul Marks was unlucky when his header from another Salih set piece free kick was held by Madden. It was at this point that the home side were reduced to 10 men, Goodwin being shown a straight red by referee Mike Smith 35 minutes into the half for swinging an elbow into Paul Mark face.
Wallace was causing the home team a lot of trouble using his big frame to herald the Wares attacks and it was the strikers hard work on the right that gave, the Wares ‘Man of the Match’ Dave Taylor, a chance in front of goal, but the ball bounced up at the wrong moment and Taylor missed his chance five minutes before the break.
With the half winding down Edgware stepped up the pace, a good combination involving Marks, Maharajan and Wallace gave Ngoyi a shot at goal then a long pass through the defence by Maharajan found Wallace but his shot was saved by the home keeper.
Edgware had the wind at their backs in the second period an a couple of minutes in Taylor tried a shot from distance which was only inches over the crossbar and Madden was forced into another good save when Wallace was given an opening by Maharajan’s cross. It was Vince Rispoli’s cross from the left that gave Ngoyi the opening he needed to fire past Madden and give the Wares the lead 55 minutes into the game.
This seemed to spur the home side into action and McDonald headed wide close in and then shot high when given a free kick 10 yards outside the visitors box on the hour. But the visitors had plenty left in the tank and although still missing Rory Smith they were steadied at the back by the experience of Fergus Moore and the fiery Craig Mckay. Taylor passed into Ngoyi who’s fancy footwork won him a corner.
Salihs free kick into the box was just put wide by Ngoyi lurking at the far post and Maharajan had a shot stopped before the home team was reduced still further, substitute Joe Smith shown red for stamping on Rispoli. It was at this point that Edgware allowed McDonald, who had been threatening throughout to run at Blackburne and score an equaliser on 76 minutes.
The wares substituted striker Stuart Blackburne in place of Moore to bulster up the attack and it was from the defence splitting pass of Gavin Hart, making a welcome return from injury, that gave Richard Morton the opportunity to fire the ball between the legs of the advancing Madden to restore the Wares lead with 10 minutes left.
Three point to keep the Wares in the last playoff place. Edgware now prepare to host their Middlesex Charity Cup Semi Final against Hillingdon Borough on Thursday night and play Aveley at the White Lion on Saturday.
EDGWARE: R Blackburne, Moore (S Blackburne), Rispoli (Hart), McKay, Salih, Ferneé, Marks, Taylor, Wallace, Ngoyi, Maharajan (Morton)
OTHER SUBS: Ingham, Bonfield
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