Grays Athletic 0-3 Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest eased into the third round of the Isthmian League Cup, defeating Grays Athletic for the second time in three seasons in the competition.
The game was very slow to get going, and those who took advantage of the reduced entry must have been beginning to wonder whether they would have been better-off staying at home and watching the ITV team struggle by.
Tunde Adewumni got into the box for Forest, before falling over. At the other end, Omand dealt easily with a long-range effort, despite the forward having plenty of space to run into.
Just before the half-hour mark, Corey Whitely broke down the right wing, and forced a good save from the home ‘keeper when played in.
Whitely himself whipped in the resulting corner and Arian Retkoceri rose unmarked to score his first goal of the season.
Ben Head – who had a fine game at the back – thought he had doubled Forest’s lead not long after, heading a Antone Douglas free-kick home, but it was correctly ruled for offside.
After the break, Forest continued to look dangerous on the counter. Jack Leachman did well to find enough space to cut the ball back to Joel Palmer, but Palmer’s shot from the edge of the area was narrowly over the bar.
In a complete reversal from the start of the first half, the game was being played at a frantic pace, and Adewumni and Whitely both had chances to score.
The home side went close to levelling when James Bunn’s half-volley hit the underside of the bar mid-way through the second half.
Forest’s second goal came shortly after and put the game out of reach for the home side. Retkoceri and Manu Dagher both going for the same ball in midfield, somehow held off two Grays defenders between them, before Retkoceri laid on the perfect through pass for Whitely who had made a run from midfield. Whitely made no mistake with the finish, lashing it home first time.
Then came the crowning moment of the game. Matt Waldron had only ever scored once before in 117 appearances for the club, but this goal was worth the wait.
Forest were awarded a free-kick, just on the edge of the centre circle. Waldron struck the ball perfectly, and it clipped the underside of the bar before finding the back of the net, with the home ‘keeper stranded.
Adewumni had further chances to score in the dying moments of the game, but the match finished 3-0, and will long live in the memory of the Forest fans in attendance, if only for Matt Waldron’s magnificent strike.
