Ware 4 Bedford Town 2

Having lost 7-1 in the reverse fixture it looked possible that Ware would suffer another heavy defeat when they went two down early in the first half. That they came back to win augurs well for the remainder of the season and also provided a degree of reimbursement for that earlier deficit.

Jon Clements scored two of Ware’s goals, they were his first from open play in the current year. He also did so in the space of little more than a minute and at a crucial point in the game. With additional strikes from Alex Warman and Theo Ofori, a team that has recently struggled to score more than one goal in a game has suddenly notched seven in two outings.

In a topsy turvy season it feels rash to suggest that Ware have turned a corner but there’s a growing confidence about the side and an absence of injuries to upset a squad whose members are working well with each other. It is also noticeable that yet again Ware recovered from a quiet first half to deliver the goods with a much better performance after the half time break.

It was just as well because they were second best for the opening twenty minutes of the game. Bedford have been on a poor run and lost top spot in midweek but from the kick off they showed a determination to recover their early season form.

During this time they hassled Ware and moved the ball about well whilst the home defence looked unusually suspect. With the quarter hour approaching some neat inter passing by the visitors peeled back an opening in the home defence leaving Leon Lobjoit free to take the ball wide of an exposed Fred Burbidge and then chip it past him for the opening goal.

Five minutes later, under pressure from a good cross the ball was only partially cleared by the home defence. Lobjoit was the recipient and his low drive from the edge of the penalty area found the net and it all began to look ominously easy for Bedford.

It might have been three when Ryan Blake, whose contest with David Sota was one of the features of the game, was narrowly wide with a shot less than five minutes later. However, from the restart Ofori took the ball past one defender then past keeper Mark Smith. Forced wide he was pinned on the goal line but in trying to work himself a better position the ball was cleared at the expense of a corner.

George Ironton’s ball from the corner flag on Ware’s right dropped into a crowded six yard area and suddenly there was Alex Warman to prod it over the line. A goal for the home side at this time was a little unexpected, even the crowd seemed stunned into near silence, but it changed the rest of the half. Bedford lost their early rhythm and cohesion whilst Ware settled into a more confident display.

But it was Clements’ goals in the 48th and 49th minutes that changed the outlook of the game. The first after a corner was poorly dealt with by the Bedford defence eventually fell to Clements whose surprise back heel caught the visitors unprepared. A minute later Ofori’s through ball reached Clements in the penalty area and he had the skill to turn a watching defender and, now with time and space, scored his second goal.

Bedford were not done and their best chance came with fifteen minutes to go when Alex Collard’s header was finger tipped away by Burbidge for one of the saves of the match. But Ware remained active and Ofori might have added to their score twice but for a weak shot on one occasion and a good save from Smith on another.

Ofori did get on the score sheet eventually after Joe Dearman waltzed past several defenders and into the penalty area two minutes into added time. The ball fell to Ofori who drove it home to the relief of home fans who were still probably expecting fate to deal Bedford an equaliser.

As it turned out there were still seven or eight minutes left but at their conclusion Ware had completed their sixth successive home win. If they can start to pick up more points on their travels a place in the play-offs could well be theirs.

Ware: Fred Burbidge, Stef Georgiou (Richard Ennin 85mins), David Sota, Mitch Hahn (Jack Dreyer 95mins), Ekow Coker, Jack Grosvenor, Theo Ofori. Alex Warman, Jon Clements, George Ironton (Freddy Moncur 63mins), Joe Dearman. Unused subs: Ben Siggers, Keiran Bishop.