Report
Neither sleet nor snow could prevent Waltham Forest from achieving an emphatic win over neighbours Aveley. Top scorer Dewayne Clarke was absent through injury but his replacement up front, Warren Ryan made it a day to remember with two goals and a performance of sheer strength.
Once the early “feeling out” moves had passed, Forest began to take control of the game and quickly realised that the Aveley defence could be turned. The first half was an example of what could have been: four or five clear cut chances in front of goal went begging when it seemed easier to score.
Both Paul Salmon and Simon Tickner had excellent chances from headers and proved how rickety the visitors’ defence was and the writing was obviously on the wall when Warren Ryan had a belter of a long range shot turned around the upright by Aveley’s Mark Palmer.
Halfway through the opening period, Aveley were even more lucky not to go a goal down when a Robbie Rix corner came into the penalty area for three Forest men to take turns in shooting only to see the ball scrambled off the line and away to safety.
On the half hour Tickner sent a through ball to Declan Perkins who drew the ball wide of two defenders and forced the keeper to come off his line. Having created the space, Perkins shot but his effort skimmed the left upright.
For the rest of the first half Forest put together a number of fast flowing attacks, swinging the ball from side to side and leaving the Aveley defence floundering. However, at half time the score stood at zero apiece when the home side should have been three or four goals the better. When the second half came it was something to savour.
Aveley took the initiative in the opening minutes but Forest weathered Aveley’s blunt attacking force. Then the Forest deluge came. The first sign of things to come was on the 58th minute when Forest won a free kick after a goalmouth scramble which left Aveley’s Steve Dickinson to clear the ball whilst on the ground. A free kick resulted which Ryan slammed around the wall from 35 yards only to see Palmer make an excellent save diving to his right post.
From the restart, the play went, momentarily, to the Forest end of the field where Nathan Elder was to have Aveley’s first attempt on goal but he headed over from an excellent position.
After a few more goalmouths scrambles Ryan rose majestically above ‘keeper and defender to head home a cracker of a goal from Chris Cashman’s cross.
Within two minutes Forest were two ahead when Simon Tickner stole in at the back post to head home a Morgan corner. Not to be out done John Morgan brought the tally to three goals on the 75th minute after a long ball down the inside right position found Ryan who outpaced the defence, got to the goal-line and swung over a low hard cross which eluded Palmer and his defenders but found Morgan on the far post to tap the ball, home.
Aveley were not about to lay down though. They went onto the attack and won a penalty when Nathan Elder was pulled back in the penalty area. Ernie Bentley made no mistake with the spot kick.
With Stuart Elliott ruling the midfield and Forest down to ten men because of injury. Having made three substitutions, Chris Cashman was not replaced when he went off injured. Ian Barnes was already off injured .
With Cashman off the game restarted and the ball came straight to Ryan got the fourth goal with a brilliant solo effort in the 85th minute.
The game ended with some intelligent and sympathetic refereeing from Mr Crouch who prevented Salmon from getting a red card by his speedy intervention after Salmon had been badly fouled by an Aveley forward.