Match Preview

Next up - Aveley home on 4th February at Wodson Park, SG12 0UQ, Ryman Isthmian League Div 1 (North). Kick off 3pm.

Admission £8, concessions £4, Under-14s free with a paying adult.

This is the reverse of our opening league fixture of the season which, with the benefit of hindsight, told us more about how things would go than we were probably willing to recognise at the time. With 15 minutes left the score was 2-2 and, according to the boardroom talk after the match, Aveley would have accepted that, feeling that we seemed to have shaded proceedings. In fact we conceded three goals in those last minutes. A game we might have won and certainly should have drawn was lost heavily.

Since then both clubs have changed management regime with Aveley bringing in Terry Spillane and former Ware manager Tony Faulkner as his assistant plus Gaz Dauti as a player coach. Gaz made 21 appearances for Ware under Tony in 2010/1, scoring six goals including one in a friendly against Aveley.

Also playing for Ware at that time was Michael Toner again now with Aveley. He made 42 appearances for the Blues and scored five goals from 2009 onwards. Much more recently Clarke Bogard, who made his debut for Aveley in last Saturday's 3-2 win over Waltham Abbey, made one appearance between the posts for Ware in December's ill fated game at AFC Hornchurch.

So much for the historical links, what about the current situation where things look much better for Aveley than for us? The Millers are sitting eighth in the table having won just short of half their 31 league matches and scored 57 goals for a difference of plus nine. They will however have two players missing with Kris Newby and keeper Lamar Joseph-Johnson both suspended until after February 11th. Top scorer is Daniel McCullock with five goals though other scorers have departed in the wake of the managerial changes.

By contrast Ware will see Gareth Price (top scorer with 14 league goals plus five in cup games) and midfielder Josh Oyibo available after suspension. The return of key players will boost spirits as Blues seek to pull away from the lower reaches of the table and score their first competitive home win over Aveley this century. In the Ware squad are Marcus Rose and Junior Appiah who will have the chance to put one over on a previous club.

Saturday's programme (£1.50 on the gate) will contain a mix of notes covering results and fixtures; match reports; background on Aveley; "Tractor Tales" which looks at the pitch in the context of the winter break; and the hundredth edition of "Past Programmes".

Our ten latest matches against Aveley:-

Our best and worst against Aveley:-