Ware 1 Cheshunt 0
02 January 2012
WARE toasted the start of a new year with a long-awaited return to winning ways as an injury time strike from Ryan Mattos gave them a precious victory over close rivals Cheshunt.
As the scrappy game entered its latter throes, Mattos majestically fired the ball over grounded Ambers keeper Glenn Williamson after he had parried a shot from Kieran Weekes to give Ware their second league win of the season.
With the winning goal, Mattos made amends for two gilt-edged chances he missed earlier in the second half.
Overall Ware, who were forced to make a number of changes to their line-up again due to several players’ unavailability coupled with Dave Bastian’s one-match ban for collecting five bookings, deserved to win.
OLD AND THE NEW: Captain Ricci Crace plays the ball past ex-Ware skipper Jimmie Berry (PIC: Ian Bush)
Three minutes in, the dangerous Kieran Weekes fired wide from outside the box after Junior Adeoye chested the ball down into his path.
Mattos scooped the ball wide of the near post on 18 minutes after Michael Elliott’s right-sided throw-in was flicked on by the hard-working Liam Foster, while at the other end, Vince Rispoli did well to thwart Cheshunt’s Kevin Ashwood as the Ambers striker broke forward.
Weekes caused problems for Ambers keeper Glenn Williamson on 29 minutes with another long-range effort, the stopper fumbling the ball before gathering it low inside his six-yard box.
Four minutes later, Weekes released Mattos behind the Cheshunt line of defence, but Josh Kisby made a great defensive tackle at the expense of a corner.
A few seconds later, a Michael Elliott cross was inadvertently flicked on by Kisby into the path of Weekes, but the Barnet youngster sent his looping header over the bar.
DOWN THE LINE: Michael Elliot sends the ball upfield (PIC: Ian Bush)
Ten minutes after the restart, Ashwood shot narrowly wide of the post, but at the other end Ware were left to rue a golden chance that went begging.
Dan Johnson played Mattos through one-on-one with keeper Williamson, but the striker’s low shot went straight into the arms of the advancing stopper on 61 minutes.
Two minutes later Mattos went through again, this time having been set free by Weekes, but he turned his body inwards and shot wastefully wide with his marker in close proximity.
With 15 minutes to go, Williamson came out of his area and clattered Mattos and Cheshunt centre-half Darren Williams, with all three players ending up in a heap on the floor.
After Williams had received medical attention, Weekes took the resulting free kick but crashed it into the wall.
With 89 minutes on the watch, a ball out of the defence from Elliott found Weekes, but his shot was pushed away for a corner by Williamson.
The deadlock was finally broken in stoppage time when Tom Querry’s ball over the top found Weekes, whose shot was parried by Williamson, but only as far as Mattos who ran on and tapped the ball over the grounded keeper into the centre of the net.
MAJESTIC MATTOS: Ryan Mattos wheels away after scoring the winner (PIC: Ian Bush)
A tense couple of minutes followed as Ware fans bayed for the final whistle. Ashwood went close for Cheshunt, but Ware had done enough to lift themselves back off the bottom of the table having dropped to the basement two days earlier following Ilford’s goalless draw with AFC Sudbury.
Ware: Rhys Madden, Liam Foster, Tom Querry, Junior Adeoye (sub: Aime Blessing, 77), Wesley Beckles, Vince Rispoli, Kieran Weekes, Dan Johnson, Ryan Mattos, Ricci Crace, Michael Elliott. Subs not used: Kain Roomes, Stuart Nethercott, Danny Hayes, Laurence Rispoli.
