Waltham Forest 1-2 Great Yarmouth Town
Forest crashed out of the FA Vase after losing 2 – 1 at home to Great Yarmouth Town. Solomon Ofori equalised in the first half after the ‘Stags’ went a goal down early on. However, the task of coming from behind was, again, forced upon them after they conceded a second on the stroke of half time. Despite being on top for the majority of the second half and having the clearer cut chances, they failed to level the scores. A draw would have earned Forest a replay.
“We started very slowly [and conceded an early goal] but we came back from that to make it all square. We really should have got a second goal today though. We should have actually scored our second in the first half I think – instead, we conceded one in the last seconds of the first half. I expected us to be on top in the second half but we obviously we needed one goal to level things up. We didn’t need to win in 90 minutes but we needed to level it up in order for there to be a replay”, said Forest manager Turgot Esendagli.
Leighton Crux put the visitors in front after getting on the end of a low cross into the box in the opening minute. Shortly after, Great Yarmouth went close again with Jason Thompson forcing a great save from Forest goalkeeper William Hunt. Lacking in height though extremely athletic, the former Luton Town youth player was originally brought in over the summer to be the second choice stopper. However, after impressing in Forest’s first league win, he has featured in every game since and put in some exceptional performances.
The ‘Stags’ levelled the scores midway through the first half after Solomon Ofori poked his shot under the onrushing goalkeeper. The equaliser came after Jose Agua beat two defenders as he surged into the box before unleashing a shot. His effort was blocked by a third defender, who dived in front in desperation, only for the ricochet to fall perfectly to Ofori just six yards from goal.
After the equaliser, Forest appeared to shed any uncertainty, which is seen so often in cup fixtures against unknown opposition, and settle into their familiar way of playing. Stephen Ellery made a chance for himself when he fired a shot at goal from a wide position however the angle proved too tight as his effort flew wide of the target.
Forest manager Esendagli was forced into making a change just 40 minutes into the game after central midfielder Famory Kamissoko, who was booked ten minutes earlier for a professional foul, was given a final verbal warning about his foul accumulation. The midfielder had been instrumental in much of Forest’s play however, Esendagli could not risk losing a player to a red card in such an important fixture. Kamissoko’s replacement Alan Callaghan made an instant impact driving towards the edge of the Yarmouth box in an attempt to receive a lofted pass over the top of the defence. Callaghan was then stopped in his tracks when after he crashed into a dangerously high foot with his head. The impact caused a nasty cut to the substitute’s left cheek however, after being treated, he soon returned to the field of play.
After a quiet spell, goalkeeper William Hunt was again tested towards the end of the first half. Great Yarmouth’s Connor Deeks shot from distance towards the top left corner, though Hunt again proved his worth as he rose high to tip the effort wide.
The visitors re-established their lead in stoppage time of the first half. A weakened cross was sent into the box from the left by Nick Bailey. The poorly executed cross appeared to catch everyone out except Kyle Ingram as the ball rolled to the far post. The winger’s late run enabled him to meet the ball and finish the chance with a well-placed finesse shot.
After the break, Forest were on top for large chunks of the game and there was variety in their build up play. The great chance to level things up came from a corner when striker Hassana Traore rose highest but his header was denied by the crossbar.
Despite being unfortunate, Forest kept pushing for an equaliser and did create chances. Agua went close on two occasions. His second opportunity came minutes from the final whistle, after Flatie Traore’s precise pass with the outside of his foot put Ofori through clear of the defence. The goal scorer probably could have got a shot away himself but instead he unselfishly cut inside and squared the ball to Agua. Agua’s shot was saved well by the goal keeper.
The fixture was a highly anticipated one by everyone involved at the club, both players and staff alike. Despite great efforts from the team, it did not happen for them this year. After the game, the manager highlighted it was how his team come back from such an agonizing defeat that is the most important thing for him now.
“I have just told them that if they are really a good team, like they think they are, they should consistently play well. And when you have a bad day, it should finish there. So I will see if they are a really a good team on Tuesday. I will see if they can forget about this and switch back to the winning games. Then I can say, ‘OK, they are a good team, it was just a one off, just one of those days where unfortunately it didn’t work out for us.’
Image thanks to David Bauckham. You can view his excellent gallery from the match here.
Report by Jack Ball
