Thirteen is thought to be an unlucky number but for Ware it seems less the bringer of bad fortune than the result of it. For the third game running Blues fielded thirteen players with their injury problems meaning they were unlikely to bring on any more than two of their named substitutes.

Worse, they played the whole game without a recognised goalkeeper. Last week’s injury to Fred Burbidge meant he was unavailable for this game whilst a hastily signed replacement was himself injured in the week and too late for another keeper to be found. This meant that centre back Lewis Thomas took over between the posts.

Any worries that this could mean a goal glut for Dunstable were never realised. Thomas dealt with what little came his way perfectly well, catching or punching high balls and fielding low ones. Significantly it’s hard to remember any shot on goal for him to deal with.

A high wind and a bobbly pitch played havoc with attempts at ball control so neither side got into their stride though Ware had the better of things. Yet once again they failed to make it count and March’s third nil-nil draw was the result.

It was also Dunstable’s third scoreless game in the same period making this result look all the more inevitable and yet Ware showed enough to have won. With the wind behind them in the first half play was mostly in the opposition half but they were never able to convert such openings as came their way.

Early on Sami Moutawafiq benefitted from John Clements’ pass but was closed down quickly as he tried to get the ball under control whilst later, Theo Ofori’s cross from the byline failed to find anyone to convert it. A minute after that Ike Okwusogo’s good work opened up a clear opportunity that went begging.

Perhaps Ware’s best chance of the half came midway through when Ofori appeared to be brought down in the eighteen yard box. The referee waved play on saying later that he didn’t think there was enough in the challenge to warrant a penalty though Ofori needed treatment for what seemed to be a kick in the stomach.

Ware’s problems at this time were that the wind took the ball away from them with passes, free kicks and shots all being over hit. Thoughts that they would be better playing against the wind in the second half were mostly justified as through balls now reached their intended recipient more regularly.

The visitors certainly seemed to cope with the conditions better than Dunstable had in the first half but with the wind behind them the home side came more into the picture after the break. They did though suffer the same problems that had faced Ware meaning that Thomas was again little troubled.

Ware on the other hand were spreading passes wide to right and left where Ofori, Okwusogu and later Sam Mayuma took up the challenge of turning the defence and getting their crosses in. Even so the Blues couldn’t find an opening in front of goal. Whilst some of the missed chances and scrambled clearances could be blamed on the wind and hard surface there was something familiar about those lost opportunities.

The sight of an opposition defence somehow clearing their lines under pressure in a clogged six yard area has been a season long feature of Ware’s games and is surely one of the reasons for them slipping to mid table. Sixteen league draws in a season is a record matched only once before and in ten more games than so far played. Whilst not all of the sixteen were “unlucky” (ask Hertford) many, such as this game, ought to have produced more points.

Ware: Lewis Thomas, Max Granville, Joe Dearman, Sami Moutawafiq, Jay Rolfe, Chukuma Okotcha, Theo Ofori, Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo, Jon Clements (Gabriel Chapps 80mins), George Ironton, Ike Okwusogu (Sam Mayuma 63mins). Unused subs: Johnny Allotey, Fraser Findlay.