Soham Tn Rangers 1 Ware 4

18 February 2012

WARE carried on their winning trend in 2012 with a comprehensive 4-1 victory at Soham Town Rangers in what was the club’s first away win of the season.

It was hard to predict the outcome of the game owing to the weather-enforced three-week lay-off both teams had endured, but in the end a goal from Liam Foster and a hat-trick from Lewis Jones saw Ware win comfortably.

The resurgent visitors, who won by more than one goal for the first time this term, welcomed Dagenham & Redbridge youngster Liam Foster back into the starting eleven on the right side of midfield, with the other 10 positions remaining untouched from the club’s previous outing at home to Romford on January 28.

A heavy downpour prior to kick-off made the surface slippery, with both teams taking time to adjust to match action again.

Both sides got away with errors, and Soham had the first chance after six minutes when Denny Escorcio got in behind the defence but dragged his shot wastefully across the face of goal and wide by some considerable margin.

Ware took the lead on eight minutes when Liam Foster lost his marker and latched onto a high ball into opposing territory from Tom Querry.

Foster demonstrated precision control and plenty of composure to beat advancing goalkeeper Dan Bircham before slotting home from a tight angle.

Soham hit back within 60 seconds, though, with Dan Cotton embarking on a blistering run down the right before crossing low into the box for Scott Carter to smash home from six yards.

Cotton’s pace on the right was causing Ware problems, but this was alleviated to an extent when boss Stuart Nethercott took the decision to swap left winger Tom Querry and left back Glen Parry around, with Querry dropping into the back four and Parry playing in front of him.

There was a scare for the visitors on 19 minutes when Cotton’s free kick deflected off Dave Bastian’s back and forced goalkeeper Rhys Madden to make a good reaction save, while at the other end, Jones turned and shot from the edge of the box, forcing keeper Bircham to tip the ball over the bar.

Ware went back in front on 22 minutes when Ryan Mattos’ ball across the box from the left was deflected into the path of Jones, who exhibited a real striker’s finish to find the far bottom corner of the net from 18 yards.

Soham would have levelled again on 29 minutes had it not been for the heroics of Madden and latterly centre-half Wesley Beckles.

Carter’s sudden volley from 20 yards out caught some people by surprise, but it didn’t fool Madden who made a fantastic save to palm the ball away to his left. Soham player-boss Andy Furnell latched onto the rebound and unleashed a fierce angled shot, but Beckles blocked the ball at the near post and the danger was gone.

Dan Johnson tried his luck for Ware with a dipping effort from long range, which took a slight deflection off a Soham defender before sailing over the bar for a corner.

Two minutes later, Ryan Mattos teed up Jones for a low shot that just went wide of the near post.

Johnson was cautioned shortly before half-time for a tackle from behind on his opposite number, becoming the first of three visiting players to be booked.

Tom Querry and Dave Bastian were also yellow-carded for separate ill-timed tackles as the second half got going.

Ware increased their lead on 58 minutes following a free kick awarded in the centre circle for a foul on Ricci Crace.

Vince Rispoli’s set piece found the head of Wesley Beckles to the right of Soham’s goal, the big defender nodding the ball back across for Jones to head home at the near post.

Soham’s David Cobb later went into the book for bringing down Bastian, while visiting substitute Kieran Weekes was denied by a well-timed interception from Soham’s Andrew Coleman.

Soham’s Dubi Ogbonna, one of only two substitutes named by the hosts – both of which were used, was booked for a high tackle with five minutes left, but by that time Ware were looking comfortable.

Three minutes from time, substitute Aime Blessing’s cross from the right found Jones unmarked at the back post, but the striker ballooned his header over the bar.

The forward made no mistake a minute later though, as he completed his hat-trick.

He dispossessed defender Coleman and confidently shot beyond Bircham to round off a memorable afternoon for Ware.

Ware: Rhys Madden, Dave Bastian, Glen Parry, Liam Foster (sub: Aime Blessing, 86), Wesley Beckles, Vince Rispoli, Ryan Matttos (sub: Kieran Weekes, 67), Dan Johnson, Lewis Jones, Ricci Crace (sub: Michael Akande, 78), Tom Querry. Subs not used: Junior Adeoye, Michael Elliott.