News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
Town win at Ware as game ends with major brawl

Town win at Ware as game ends with major brawl

Jeff Barnes5 Oct 2019 - 18:12
Share via
FacebookX
https://www.pitchero.com/clubs

Neil Metcalfe at Wodson Park

FA Cup: Potters Bar Town win at Ware as game ends with major brawl

Where do you start with that one then? Well, first things first - Potters Bar Town are through to the fourth qualifying round draw of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Ware.

It came courtesy of a comeback win after they trailed to a seventh-minute goal by Oluwaseun Akinsanya.

James Budden headed them level on 15 minutes and then Josh Hutchinson in the third-minute of stoppage time converted a penalty after Ben Ward-Cochrane was brought down.
It took three minutes between foul and conversion and brought exuberant scenes from the Bar support but what followed would be classed as an old-fashioned bench clearance in ice hockey.

It happened away from the winning goal and ended with staff and substitutes flooding onto the pitch and punches being thrown.

After a long consultation between his linesmen, the referee showed red cards to the home side's Jordon Watson and the Scholars' Brad Sach.

Ware piled forward when play final restarted but there was to be no more drama and 11 minutes beyond the 90 the tie was eventually brought to a conclusion.

There will no doubt be more fallout after the finish. The game was being filmed and no doubt sanctions for both clubs will be forthcoming.

But Lee O'Leary's men will just be delighted to have side-stepped another banana skin at a lower-league club and reached Monday's draw.

A slow start would not have been on his wish-list at the Isthmian League Division One club, one level below the Maroons.

But after having a sight of goal following a poor clearance from goalkeeper Calum Kitscha, Sach unable to get it down quick enough to have a shot, Bar were hit by the sucker-punch as Ware took the lead.

A free-kick deep on the right wing was lofted in to the far post and with the low sun playing havoc with R'avan Constable's vision, Akinsanya forced it over the line.

It could have got worse too for the visitors as a blocked clearance gave Liam Hope the sight of an empty net from 40-plus yards away. His volley was dipping but not enough as it smacked off the crossbar and was cleared.

And Bar got the quick equaliser they would have craved.

It came from a corner on the left wing, pumped towards the back post by Keagan Cole where Budden was lurking. His header back across goal seemed to get a touch, with Sach the most likely one to get it.

Bar didn't care though as it rolled beyond Kitscha and in and tellingly Sach ran straight to the centre-half afterwards.

A quick half-time chat confirmed it was Budden's goal but crucially the equaliser settled the away side down and for the remainder of the half they grew more and more into it.

Another corner and another Budden header was scrambled clear and then George Craddock and Cole both hit long-range efforts down the throat of the keeper.

Chris Doyle completed the chances with a curled effort beyond a stranded Kitscha but beyond the post too, although he was certain it had been deflected for a corner that never came.

Gogo opted for a pass instead of a potential shot inside the box as the half closed and the second-half began with more of the ball being won by the visitors.

One superb move, built on patience, ended with Ben Ward-Cochrane cutting inside but failing to hit the final effort with enough power.

Budden had another chance from a corner, this time though with his feet as he pounced on a spot of pinball. Unfortunately he could only hook it over the bar on the stretch.

There was still fear though as all good cup ties should have and the worry here was that for all Bar's dominance, Ware might snatch something on the counter.

And the Blues certainly looked to be growing in confidence the longer the match went on with the sides level.

One fine cross from Patrick Adamson needed Constable to be alert and quick off his line to get there ahead of the strikers.

And Ware had one good spell of around five minutes with 20 minutes to go, Hope thumping a low drive to the left of Constable which the keeper did very well to get down and stop.

They started to win more of the 50-50 balls and seemed to have the better of any collisions, winning tackles all over the part.

Chances were also drying up for the away side until Craddock lofted an effort goalwards in the 88th minute. Somehow though Kitscha managed to leap up and claw it away.

Anyone who thought that was the end of the action had another thing coming.

Ware: Kitscha, Norman, Adamson, Lewis Rose, Louis Rose, Rumens, Watson, Bruno, Hope (Williams 86), Akinsanya, Oujdi.
Subs (not used): Raghip, Boxer, Madden, Watkins, Adelkunle, Campbell

Goals: Akinsanya 7

Sent-off: Watson 90+7

Potters Bar Town: Constable, Doyle, Lomas, Cole, Budden, Quarrington-Carter, Ward-Cochrane, Craddock, Hutchinson, Sach (Powell 89), Gogo (Young 85).
Subs (not used): Ehui, Kartita, Humphrey, Nicholas.

Goals: Budden 15, Hutchinson 90+3

Booked: Gogo 59

Sent-off: Sach 90+7

HT: Ware 1 Potters Bar Town 1

Further reading