Waltham Forest 3-1 Needham Market
The pre-season betting odds had Needham Market as one of the favourites to win the league, and Forest as relegation fodder. However, after watching Forest take Market apart, with a superb team display, the predictions of the two sides could have easily been reversed.
Needham Market destroyed Potters Bar 7-0 on the opening day of the season, but showed none of that decisive finishing which helped them on that day.
Lukman Mojeed came into the starting line-up in place of Glen Kendall, and Richard Shittu started in place of Joel Palmer.
In the opening 10 minutes of the match there were few chances for either side, as both midfields cancelled each other out. However, on the 12th minute an inch perfect ball out of defence allowed Jeff Hammond to run at the Market defence, beating his defender for pace and sliding the ball coolly past Plummer in the visitors’ goal.
Despite having taken the lead, Forest were still not 100% comfortable, and Antone Douglas was forced to clear from the line when Rhys Barber back-heeled a loose ball from a corner.
Market came closer still when Bradley Barber was given the space to unleash a thunderbolt from 35, which rattled the top of the bar before going out of play.
Rhys Barber then had his second good chance of the first half, again the ball falling to him from a corner, but this time he volleyed over from around the penalty spot.
If Market were guilty of not taking their chances, Forest were certainly more clinical in front of goal. Josh Bonnett controlled a Sackey throw in and waltzed into the opposition penalty area without a single tackle being thrown. Bonnett found himself in front of goal and smashed in a powerful near-post shot off the cross-bar which left Plummer with no chance.
It was 3-0 to the home side only three minutes into the second-half. Richard Shittu fainted and left the ball to the path of Manny Sackey, whose bullet cross was nodded in by an unmarked Manu Dagher at the back post.
Shittu then had his own chance to get on the score sheet, rising well at the back post but heading just over under the pressure of a defender. Only moments later the same thing happened at the other end of the pitch, this time the Needham Market 7 was guilty of doing the same.
After this chance, Forest enjoyed a good 10 minutes where they bossed the game, forcing several good saves from Plummer, Bonnett and Shittu both going close to scoring Forest’s fourth.
As Forest began to tire, Market got into the game much more, and Omand was forced into an excellent low save from Scott Chaplin. It took until the 86th minute for Market to get their reward. A long shot was fumbled by Omand, and Scott Chaplin was there at the far post to hold off a tackle and poke in the rebound.
With only seconds to go, Forest had a blatent shout for a penalty turned down. Palmer advanced through midfield on the counter attack and put Dagher through with only one defender and the goalkeeper to beat. The Market defender made no attempt whatsoever to play the ball, and simply stood and blocked Dagher’s run, sending him to the ground. In Forest’s first game of the season, Tashan Nicholas won a penalty for exactly the same kind of foul, but this time, the referee sided with the visiting side as he had done for most of the match.
This last incident did not matter though, as the final whistle blew shortly after, confirming an excellent win for Forest.
Forest now ‘travel’ to Ilford on Bank Holiday Monday, who lost 3-0 to Leiston this weekend. Forest will be confident of turning in another good performance and adding three more points to their talley.
Man of the match: Richard Shittu
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