Cheshunt 4 Ware 1
01 November 2011
WARE put in a decent shift in the second period following their first half horror show that would have been more at home the previous evening on Halloween.
The visitors started Tuesday’s Herts Senior Cup tie with a host of fringe players, including an unfamiliar midfield five, but by the time the cavalry came off the bench at half-time in the form of midfield regulars Dan Johnson and Aime Blessing, the damage had already been done.
Cheshunt surged into a 4-0 lead in the first period, scoring twice in the opening seven minutes of the match, and although Lewis Taylor pulled one back just after the break, the fact that Ware had no recognised strikers on the field for the second 45 minutes meant that was the only time they turned their first half possession into anything meaningful.
With a number of senior players rested, Danny Hayes, Antony Lane and Harry Larner came into the midfield alongside the recently re-signed Jamie Petts, who capped an impressive first appearance of the season by hitting the bar in the second half.
There was also a first start for recent signing Mark Teasdale at right back, with Ryan Mattos operating as a lone striker.
The Ambers needed only four minutes to take the lead. Sam Byles split the Ware defence wide open with a well-placed through ball, onto which Josh Hutchinson latched before slotting past goalkeeper Rhys Madden.
At the other end, Ryan Mattos tussled with Cheshunt player-caretaker manager Glen Parry for an aerial ball sent upfield by Vince Rispoli, but after Parry headed it up in the air, Mattos collected the second ball and forced a save from Ambers keeper Joe Wright with a shot on the turn.
However, the Ambers stunned Ware with a second goal on seven minutes. Michael Elliott’s defensive header went only as far as Kevin Ashwood, whose shot took a significant deflection off a defender and nestled into the top corner of Madden’s net.
The hosts continued to frustrate Ware as the game continued, as illustrated when Lewis Taylor was cautioned for tackling a Cheshunt player from behind.
The Ambers made it 3-0 on 29 minutes when Anthony MacDonald needed only one touch to sweep home a ball in from the right.
On 35 minutes, Jordan Williams fizzed a low shot right across the face of goal, but Matt Thomson was denied at the back post by Madden’s legs.
Four minutes later the Ambers had four when the ball was played through the middle of the park and Ashwood netted his second of the match with ease.
Ware made a double change at the break, although Vince Rispoli and Ryan Mattos, the two players making way for substitutes Dan Johnson and Aime Blessing, were two of Ware’s best performers in the first period.
Several players were ordered into different positions by boss Stuart Nethercott, and the manager’s tinkering paid dividends after only three minutes of the second half.
Danny Hayes’ ball into the box from the left found Lewis Taylor, who rounded keeper Wright before firing home for 4-1.
Ware began to force the Ambers into making mistakes, but they could not capitalise by adding to the score.
At the other end, Madden made a fine left-handed save to deny Ashwood his hat-trick on 64 minutes, before Ware’s Jamie Petts saw his right-footed drive thunder off the bar after a cross from Blessing on 75 minutes.
Ware’s makeshift formation kept the Ambers at bay for the rest of the game, but the visitors were ultimately made to pay for their first half capitulation.
Ware: Rhys Madden, Mark Teasdale, Tom Querry, Lewis Taylor, Vince Rispoli (sub: Dan Johnson, 45), Michael Elliott, Antony Lane, Harry Larner, Ryan Mattos (sub: Aime Blessing, 45), Jamie Petts, Danny Hayes. Sub not used: Stuart Nethercott.
