Needham Market 1-6 Waltham Forest
The most difficult of fixtures, a midweek away fixture in Suffolk saw Forest continue their goal scoring exploits as they thrashed the Marketmen 6-1 last night. Their seventeen games this season have now seen them score 46 goals.
The side showed three changes from Saturdays win against Aveley with Douglas replacing the unavailable Ordono, Retkoceri coming in for Leachman in midfield and Palmer replacement Adewumni up front.
The early stages of the game saw both sides trying to move the ball quickly on a slick surface with the home side playing their usual passing game out from the back with their keeper seeing a lot of the ball. However on 12 minutes the game exploded as skipper Adrian Clifton picked up the ball in midfield and from 30 yards out unleashed a howitzer of a drive which left Johnson in goal with no chance.
Twelve minutes later – with Forest dictating most of the play – an over hit pass down the left hand side saw Palmer showing unexpected pace to get to the ball first. He accelerated to the by-line and drilled in a low cross which was bundled in for an own goal by Needham defender under pressure from Whitely.
The clearly stunned home side then enjoyed their best period since the start of the game and quickly got a goal back when Forest failed to clear their lines and Clarke was left alone at the back post to tap home.
The Marketmen continued to look somewhat dangerous out wide with the fullbacks frequently getting into advanced positions but often their crosses failed to test out the Forest rearguard with Head and Vickers the two 18 year olds playing together in the heart of the defence for the first time defending well.
Five minutes before half time Forest got the crucial third their play deserved. Whitely received the ball out wide and although he seemed hesitant to take on his man after several stop starts he made his trademark run ,cut in towards goal and drove in a cross which took a slight deflection to loop into the net and the half ended 3-1 to Forest.
It wasn’t long before the stunned home support saw more goals. Five minutes after the restart the home side – now playing with three across the back in order to get something from the game – were put under pressure and Palmer latched onto a poor back pass to poke past the keeper for the fourth.
It wasn’t to end there however as the pace of Forest front line was too much to handle and from a Needham attack Dagher from the same position he lost possession for Aveleys goal on Saturday this time clipped a pass down the left from deep in his own half. Palmer now brimming with confidence picked it up out on the touchline and drove into the box with a hapless defender in pursuit and as he entered the penalty box thrashed a left foot drive high into the net for his second and Forest’s fifth.
He was then denied a hatrick as the referee strangely called play back 30 yards for a foul to Forest after he had scored.
Palmer and Retoceri then made way for Leachman and Adewunmi and the scoring was completed when Dagher ran from the halfway line and as Whiteley distracted two defenders with a decoy run continued into the space created and drilled home.
There could have been more goals as Dagher brought a double save from the keeper and several crosses were just over hit with numbers in the box. Omand who was nursing a damaged hand at halftime was only called into action once in the second half as he made a stunning save from Newson near the end.
A stunning performance from Forest who now move up to 11th in the table.
