Waltham Forest 3-1 Ilford

A big local derby at cricklefield; the equivalent of any Merseyside or London derby, in this division as both teams needed a win. 

The game started with early pressure from Ilford, within 5 minutes a low cross was cleared by the makeshift Waltham Forest defence: with Ferai Hallam injured, and Matt Waldron suspended, Arian Retkoceri was forced to play at centre back. 

A speculative shot by Ilford’s number 10, Warren M’Fula, had fortune on it as Tom Vickers’ leg diverted into the net for an early Ilford lead. At the time of the first goal Ilford’s Joe Pattison was off the pitch to change a pair of incorrectly coloured undershorts.

Waltham forest had a corner kick shortly afterwards and it was a goal mouth scramble, almost like a rugby scrum, when captain Adrian Clifton poked it in to make it 1-1 after Dmitri Larin’s initial header clipped the cross bar.

The action continued as a cross from Ilford’s Kai Blanchard found Chinedu McKenzie but it was saved low to his left by Cain Davies.

Shortly after, Waltham Forest won a free kick outside the box. Captain Adrian Clifton took the free kick, one David beckham would be proud of, knocking it easily past the keeper into the top left hand corner of the goal to make it 2-1 to the home side.

Forest’s pressure continued as they had another free kick that resulted in another Forest corner.

From there we saw another attempt rise over the bar.

Ilford battled back and won themselves a free kick this time on the right hand side but although Davies fumbled the cross an attempted overhead kick was well wide of the mark.

Just before half time Waltham Forest had another corner, where the resulting shot went over the bar and in the last few secords of the half Joel Palmer went past the keeper like a hot knife through butter but the shot went well wide of the goal.

The second half started brightly for the away side but although they had constant pressure they were unable to turn any of it into chances at goal. 

Late in the game Forest confirmed the win as Adrian Clifton rose unmarked to claim his hat trick as well as man of the match as he headed home the free kick lofted in from the right by Luke Stanley who had troubled their right back all game with his lollipops.

This win should boost Forest confidence going into the latter stages of the season.

 

Report by Peter Willoughby