Ware 3 East Thurrock United 2
30 April 2011
Ware’s roller coaster of a season came to an end with the team still on an upward trend after their fifth game in a row without defeat and victory over the division’s champions. As a result they moved up to finish 14th in the table, a position that looked highly improbable just a few weeks ago.
Perhaps the visitors’ hearts weren’t entirely in the game having already won the title and it is also the case that their top scorer was unavailable through injury. But they played well and had Ware’s attack looking light weight for long spells in the first half as their centre backs soaked up everything the home side could muster.
In particular Stanley Muguo had an impressive game and hardly put a foot wrong until the 76th minute and a rash tackle on Ryan Wade that earned him a red card. Muguo may have towered over the diminutive Ware man but it was still a clash of the titans for, if the visitors’ number 6 was their star man, Wade once again produced a pair of goals that secured the points for the Blues.
His second and Ware’s third on 64 minutes was an example of the skill that has brought interest from step 3 clubs in the past. Max Mitchell spotted him wide on the left and sent a long cross field ball to his feet. From there Wade moved to the edge of the box before delivering an inch perfect, angled shot that a resigned Richard Wray in the Thurrock goal could only watch as it went in at the foot of his left post.
Mitchell himself had brought Ware back into the game when they were already a goal behind and seemingly in danger of going two down. But with a minute of play left before the half time break Emiel Aiken played him in and from twenty yards he deftly lobbed Wray to bring the home side level.
Before that East Thurrock had shown plenty of power and skill and deserved to take the lead from a 23rd minute corner when Simon Peddie picked up a loose ball to score from close range. They might have had more but Ware’s defenders were holding the thin blue line with everything at their disposal.
Ware took the lead in the 53rd minute with Wade once again involved. First he went down under pressure on the edge of the penalty area but with the crowd baying for a free kick the referee waved play on and the ball broke to Sam Berry just the other side of the eighteen yard line. He too was felled but more convincingly and this time Mr Goddard didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot from where Wade confidently put the ball away.
East Thurrock upped their game after this and six minutes later Piers Wixon beat the offside trap to run clear and pick his spot for 2-2. A free kick two minutes later stung Obey Murefu’s hands before being cleared but this was enough for Tony Faulkner.
The diminutive Davie Edmee, who had spent most of his time bouncing off the heavier and more experienced visiting defenders, was taken off in favour of centre back Matt Turpin who made his first appearance in 14 games after injury. This allowed Jack Friend to move to left back and Joe Clemo to move into mid-field. It was only a minute before this paid off with Wade’s winning goal.
Muguo’s dismissal took some of the steam out of East Thurrock’s inevitable fight back but even so Murefu was required to make one good save from Joe Keith as the clock moved into added time and then another from Neil Richmond to maintain Ware’s advantage. They were two of the reasons why the Zimbabwean was voted fans Player of the Year, a well merited award that he received after the match.
Ware: Murefu, Clemo, J Berry, Friend, Sargent, S Berry, Edmee (Turpin 63 mins), Ruff, Wade, M Mitchell (Malimabue 81 mins), Aiken (Rose 71 mins).
