Advent Calendar 2015: Day 12 – Waltham Forest 8-1 Bowers & Pitsea

Football is a funny game – one where within the space of a few seasons tables can turn and fortunes can differ.

In the 2012-13 season, Forest were enjoying a decent start to another Ryman League Division 1 season, while Bowers had been languishing in the Essex Senior League.

Three years after the sides met in November 2012, Forest have been relegated, and sit bottom of the ESL, while Bowers have put together back-to-back title challenges.

This Essex Senior Cup tie was the first time Forest had scored 8 in a match, and recorded their highest win since April 2004.

In slightly foggy conditions Forest started brightly, but were guilty of failing to pull the trigger.

Manu Dagher gave Forest the lead, heading in at the back post despite being marked by two players, converting a Corey Whitely cross.

Tunde Adewunmi then went close to scoring his first goal for the club, rattling the crossbar with a header from an Antone Douglas Corner.

Bowers levelled soon after though, with George Shelvey (brother of Jonjo) capitalising on some lax Forest defending and rolling the ball past Aaron Omand.

Parity did not last long, as Dagher got his second after turning on a sixpence in the Bowers box before firing home at the near post.

After half time the floodgates opened.

Whitely exchanged a neat one-two with Arian Retkoceri before firing low past Doyle.

Adewunmi had a goal disallowed for offside before scoring his first goal for the club. Retkoceri was felled on the edge of the area, but the ball fell to Adewunmi who scored with a front-post finish.

The front man then secured his second of the game in almost comical fashion. Doyle charged out to clear a long ball over the top, but misjudged the bounce and could only head the ball tamely into Adewunmi’s path. The striker then calmly rolled the ball into the empty net.

Joel Palmer was brought on and began to create problems, forcing a good low save from Doyle.

At the other end Omand was called into action on a couple of occasions, saving well from two long-range efforts.

Dave Bryan got his first goal for the club after being supplied by Whitely with a perfect pass, enabling him to take a touch before rolling the ball into the corner of the net.

Manu Dagher could have had a hat trick, but after waltzing into the box, his shot was cleared off the line.

Joel Palmer got Forest’s 7th with a half volley from just inside the box, before Corey Whitely completed the rout with a powerful shot from the edge of the area.

In the next round of the competition, Forest lost 2-1 to Conference South side Chelmsford City. Bowers finished rock bottom of the ESL, with only 20 points from 36 games.

Went on to bigger things

We’ve already covered Corey Whitely’s rise, but after a few years knocking about at Cheshunt, Tunde Adewumni is currently one of the top scorers in the Essex Senior League with 14 goals for Sporting Bengal United.

Disappeared from view

Dave Bryan.