Maldon & Tiptree 3-0 Waltham Forest

A lack-lustre Waltham Forest fell to a 3-0 defeat to the hands of Maldon & Tiptree. Matt Waldron and Josh Green’s inavailability, coupled with an injury to captain Adrian Clifton meant that Forest travelled to Maldon with only 12 players.

The home side opened the more lively out of the two, and went close on just five minutes when Omand was forced to tip the ball over the bar accrobatically. Sosthene Yao then had the best chance of the match. A long ball over the top allowed Yao to beat the off-side trap, with the Forest defence expencting the linesman to raise his flag, which stayed down. Yao had all the time in the world to pick his spot in the goal, but instead fired straight at the on-rushing Omand.

Forest did force a couple of corners towards the end of the first half, with Bondon and Thomas connecting well, but both their headers fell just wide.

Maldon took the lead on 61, but there was a hint of controversy surrounding their goal, with Forest apparently stopping, expecting the referee to blow up for hand-ball. However, play continued and Joe Pearman fired in from just inside the Forest half. It was 2-0 to the home side not long after, when Ross Wall cut through the Forest defence like a knife through butter.

Omand did manage to smother Wall’s initial shot, but the rebound fell kindly and he was able to poke the ball into an unguarded net.

With Forest searching for a way back into the game, it was no surprise that Maldon scored again.

A deep free-kick was met by Leon Antione at the back post who made no mistake in helping the ball over the line.

On a surpisingly cold April day, this match was a drab encounter between two sides who can neither make the play-offs nor be dragged into a relegation battle.

Elsewhere, a win for Ilford makes any chances of survival for the bottom two all the more unlikely.  Ware beat Thamesmead Town 2-1, but it appears that it may be too little too late for the Hertfordshire side.

Forest: Omand, Conteh, Ordono, Sackey, Shittu, Bondon, Moore, Djiomo-Nyah, Taylor, Palmer, Dagher.

Sub: Iyaki, on for Dagher.

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