Marlow 2 Ware 3

Ware ideally needed a win to get back on track after Saturday's defeat and they got one but it was a close run thing. Having gone two goals up after the break Blues found the home side coming back at them in a second half that had Ware back pedalling for much of the time.

This game also saw the return of Albert Adu on dual registration from St Albans City. Having missed out on a lot of first team football recently he did well to survive until being withdrawn with a little under twenty minutes to go.

Fears that the game might be postponed following the recent rain proved groundless and the pitch stood up well through the ninety minutes of action though it must have sapped the strength from the players' legs. That would have applied particularly to Andre McCollin who apparently had taken no food during the day.

McCollin does not seem to be the kind of player to take things easy and was constantly fighting for the ball with an uncompromising Marlow defence that had conceded only eight goals in the preceding ten games. It was never more unwilling to compromise than when, fifteen minutes in, McCollin chased a through ball and was brought down by Marlow keeper Simon Grant just outside the area.

There was no other defender in evidence and it looked like Grant could get a red card so he might consider himself lucky to get away with a yellow. McCollin meanwhile and not for the last time in the game, needed attention but was able to rejoin the contest after the free kick had been taken.

The Ware number eleven was looking groggy at times in the first half after further crunching tackles and an elbow to the head but some half time chocolate restored his sugar levels. It seemed to work and five minutes after the break there was McCollin battling against the Marlow defence again as he carried the ball to by line before getting it across the face of goal where Liam Hope shot home for Ware's second goal.

The game ought to have been safe now that Ware had improved on a good if not brilliant first half that had seen the teams separated by Dave Kendall's goal. That came during Ware's best period of the game as they constantly raided the home goal. Macsen Fraser might have scored early on when he unleashed a shot from outside the area that Grant did well to get his finger tips to whilst Liam Hope's cross on the half hour was just inches away from McCollin in front of goal.

Kendall's goal was scored in between those two chances. Hope was involved again when he nodded a cross from the left into the path of the centre back who slid in to score. It looked as though Ware might push on for a second goal but in a warning of what was to come after the break they started to come under pressure and compounded their problems with rushed clearances that gave the ball away.

And so it was again after Hope's goal with the home side coming back at Ware. The two goal lead lasted less than ten minutes as a cross from the right was converted by Chris Oveneden from close range. Following this Marlow continued to press and Ware needed to strain every sinew at times to keep them at bay. When they couldn't, the home side obliged by heading or shooting wide.

Even so there seemed a long time to go before the final whistle so it was with some relief that Ware scored again and against the run of play. With fifteen minutes to go the ball was played wide to Alaa Oujdi on the right who turned his defender and laid the ball back to Harry Watkins just beyond the edge of the penalty area. His low shot took a slight deflection and beat Grant at his left hand post.

Marlow were pegged back but only briefly. With four minutes remaining a cross from their left was played back to Nnamdi Kwachuku who shot home to bring his side back into contention.

The referee played five minutes of added time to increase the biting of finger nails as Ware supporters' eyes constantly turned to their watches or phones to check progress. The final whistle did come eventually and the three points went to Ware who had cemented their second place in the table by the skin of their teeth. "We gave the ball away too much and weren't playing in the right places," was their manager's verdict.

Ware: Calum Kitscha, Macsen Fraser, Pat Adamson, Dave Kendall, Louis Rose, Dan Rumens, Tom Bruno, Harry Watkins, Liam Hope, Albert Adu (Gareth Madden 71mins), Andre McCollin (Alaa Oujdi 59mins). Unused subs: Williams Danquah, Joshua Williams, Michael Bardle.