Ware 1 Uxbridge 2

After this match Paul Halsey felt disappointed that in certain areas his men didn’t do their jobs. For the onlooker there was no doubt that for the most part Ware were second best with Uxbridge able to find each other with quick passes all too easily especially when they turned defence into attack.

Ware went into this game playing a 3-5-2 line up with new signing Stanley Muguo in a holding midfield role. Muguo has plenty of non-league experience but he was lacking playing time and was withdrawn in the second half.

Tommy Wade who, in Liam Hope’s absence, has been playing up front using his strength and experience to impose himself on defenders found the Uxbridge defence a little more worldly wise. He came off at the same time as Muguo as Halsey brought on Hope and Albert Adu in an effort to change things.

The move looked to be beneficial as Ware pushed forward searching for what by then would have been an equaliser and there were certainly chances that with more luck might have brought one. Alaa Oujdi’s cross near the end was particularly potent with possibilities but it was cleared and Uxbridge were deservedly able to retain the lead.

The more Ware looked for a goal the more they were exposed at the back. The visitors might have put the game beyond all hope for them but for the occasional offside flag and the more frequent work of Calum Kitscha in the Ware goal.

Whilst Ware continued to frustrate, leaving too many opponents with too much space, Uxbridge’s corner count mounted but they couldn’t convert chances into goals.

In fact, all the goals had come in the first 45 minutes and it was Ware who scored the first at a time when they looked to be taking control of the game after a slow start. A free kick on the right on 23 minutes was another of Tom Bruno’s lofted ones into the opposition penalty area. There was Dan Rumens who rose to defect it in with a header that didn’t have the power but did have the direction to beat Tyler Tobin’s dive. It was Rumen’s first competitive goal for the Blues.

On the back foot and a goal behind Uxbridge re-applied themselves and got their equaliser ten minutes later. Kitscha pulled off the first of many superb saves when he beat out a fierce, close range shot but the ball was almost immediately played back into the penalty area and this time Mark Bitmead was on hand to slide in the equaliser from a narrow angle.

Now Uxbridge were again playing the better football and made scoring look easy when they broke from a Ware corner a minute before half time. The ball was pulled back from the by line for Jon-Jo Bates to score what proved to be the winner from close range.

Ware came back almost immediately and there was nearly a repeat of Rumen’s goal but this time his header from Bruno’s free kick had the power but not the direction and went just wide of Tobin’s right-hand post.

Ware: Calum Kitscha, George Casey, Pat Adamson, Tommy Wade (Liam Hope 62mins), Louis Rose, Dan Rumens, Finlay Titchmarsh, Leigh Rose, Tom Bruno, Stanley Muguo (Albert Adu 62mins), Devonte Simms (Alaa Oujdi 86mins). Unused subs: Marcus Milner, Yoav Sade.