Heybridge Swifts 1 – 1 Waltham Forest
(Report thanks to Dave Buckingham, Heybridge Swifts FC)
Heybridge conceded the lead that they took early in the second half as lowly Waltham Forest earned a draw.
Although Forest managed to frustrate Swifts for large periods, the host did create chances from the outset with Tom Broadhurst in the starting eleven managing to head just wide from an early corner. Swifts went closer still on nine minutes when Broadhurst crossed from the right and a delicate flick of the head from Tom English saw the ball flash across the face of goal. Waltham Forest had already been predicted as being better than their league position suggested but didn’t create too much in the opening half. The lively Tom Broadhurst was scratching his head on 23 minutes when he missed a sitter after a deep throw was flicked on by a Forest defender causing their keeper to react quickly as Willis palmed the ball into the path of Broadhurst who blazed over from close range. Jason Willis in the Forest goal made a fine save just after the half hour when a run and shot from the left from Chris Bryan saw Willis make a one handed save to deny the Swifts striker.
The final five minutes of the half belonged to Danny Francis of the visitors as he made a good run and shot on 40 minutes followed by a shot across the face of goal just before half-time.
Both teams were out on the field for the second half when Referee Mr Kaye hit the buzzer from his dressing room which caused some amusement amongst supporters who the settled down for the second half and only had to wait seven minutes til Swifts scored. Just minutes after Reece Morgan had hit the bar with a shot that had the keeper beaten, it was Tom Broadhurst that opened the Swifts account smashing home a close range header from an inch perfect corner by Captain Danny Barber who was celebrating his 300th appearance for the Club. The last twenty or thirty minutes saw Waltham Forest earn their equaliser. The pressure mounted on 61 minutes when a great ball down the right by Francis found Marquin Smith and his cross was met with a deflected shot for a corner by Mitch Hahn who followed on to volley wide from the resulting corner.
Just as Heybridge had earlier hit the bar, Waltham Forest then smacked crossbar on 66 minutes when Mitch Hahn curled a beauty of a free kick over the wall from 22 yards. For all their effort, things paid off on 72 minutes. Six minutes after hitting the bar which had the visiting manager wondering when his side would get some luck, it came on 72 minutes as Marquin Smith ran the ball down the right wing being kept company by defender Gibson, what was to follow was the goal of the season so far as he unleashed a cracker of a drive that soared through the air and past a well beaten Sanders. If there was a hint the ball from Smith was meant as a cross he wasn’t going to admit it as he said afterwards ”of course it was” in response to was it a shot?
Marquin Smith had a lovely ball slipped into his path in the area on 78 minutes but this time Ollie Morris-Sanders made a near post stop. Second half Sub Ashley Taylor-Forbes struck a shot amazingly wide from eight yards close to the end when Taylor Hastings only made a half clearance with his only error of the game. With just three minutes of normal time to go a lovely chip into the box by Jack Mead who had replaced Broadhurst then saw a header wide from an unmarked Chris Thomas. Jason Willis in the Forest goal then made a low down save to deny a powerful yet low header from Mead as Swifts searched for a winner. That winner almost fell to the vistors in the third minute of five added on as Jack Mead gave the ball away from an unlucky deflection and the loose ball wasn’t kept by a sliding Gibson as Mitch Hahn pulled the ball forward away from the Swifts defender and powered forward towards goal. But for a last ditch sliding tackle from Danny Barber who came across the patch of Hahn, the Forest striker would surely have secured a win for Waltham, as it was the draw leaves Swifts third but Waltham Forest drop to the bottom of the table as they now begin their final scheduled days playing at Ilford before a much needed return home to Wadham Lodge.
