Cheshunt 1-3 Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest made it into the First Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy with a solid team performance against Cheshunt, in an encounter which had a strange ‘end-of-season’ air about it.

Forest named an unchaged side, and forced seven corners within the first half an hour, all of which came to nothing.

Dimitri Larin went close, flicking on a free-kick from Inaki Ordono, while Adrian Clifton should have done better after Corey Whitely squared the ball back to him.

Forest broke the deadlock on 34. Luke Stanley’s corner was not dealt with by the home defence, and after some bouncing around the box, Clifton bundled the ball into the goal.

Minutes later and Forest doubled their advantage. Whitely looked to have overhit his cross from the right wing, but it dropped to Luke Stanley at the back post whose looping header found the top corner of the goal.

Just before the break, Ordono went close, having his effort tipped over the post by Obey Morfeu in the Cheshunt goal.

Forest continued to dominate at the start of the second half, but they switched off at the back, allowing veteran striker Leon Archer to score from close range.

Adrian Clifton restored Forest’s advantage with his second of the game. He was put in by Whitely and while his first effort was parried by Morfeu, he was able to put the rebound away from a tight angle.

While some of the home side’s challenges were on the more physical side, it was not the dirtiest match Forest will play in this season.

Regardless of that, the referee was not always in full control, and as a result, many challenges and verbal abuse was going unpunished. At one point in the match, neither set of players or supporters was quite aware of what was going on out on the field.

Arian Retkoceri went close from long range for Forest, having his shot blocked on its way to goal, just before the 90.

And in the dying moments of the game, Ivni Islami had a golden opportunity to score Forest’s goal. He was fed through on goal, before he rounded the ‘keeper, beat a defender and then contrived to miss the target – by some considerable distance – from all of six yards.

Still, Forest will have no complaints with their performance. Aside from Cheshunt’s one goal – a gift – Aaron Omand had little to do in the Forest goal.

Forest are now £2,300 richer, and will face trip to the seaside as they face Ramsgate in the next round, to be played on the 29th of September.