Waltham Forest 4-4 Romford
Waltham Forest played to an exciting 4-4 draw with Romford in their Ryman League clash at Cricklefield Stadium on Saturday, November 12.
The Stags, after trailing 2-1 at the interval, scored three second-half goals to lead the contest before allowing Romford to equalise late in the game.
Capatin Jack Barry scored twice for Romford with the other two goals coming from Kurt Smith and Nick Reynolds, while the scorers for Forest were Jeff Hammond. (two), Josh Bonnett and Manu Dagher.
The home team started the game slowly and was punished as early as the 2nd minute when Barry forced a save from goalkeeper Aaron Omand and then tapped home the rebound.
Minutes later the visitors were at it again, forcing Forest’s defenders to clear the ball off the line twice.
Constant pressure from Romford paid off in the 16th minute when Smith easily rounded Omand and scored the game’s second goal.
And it could have been three shortly after, but Joe Oates missed from close range after Forest’s defence had been caught flatfooted.
The Stags then started putting some passes together but it was the brilliance of Dagher, who had an outstanding game, which led to their first goal.
He picked up the ball on the right, went by two players and drove into the box before slotting home.
At the other end, Omand had to spread himself twice to deny Oates and Smith as Romford closed the half strongly.
Forest started the second period the brisker of the teams and could have equalised inside 10 minutes but Dagher’s shot was saved by Lamar Johnson.
Romford responded with a 20-yard drive form Abs Seymour which shaved the post of Omand’s goal, before going 3-1 up with a headed goal from Barry.
This forced Manager Olawale Ojelabi to try a different approach in the 66th minute by bringing on Richard Shittu for Joel Palmer.
Shittu’s height and strength immediately troubled Romford’s defence and Forest earned a penalty which Bonnett converted in the 70th.
Two goals then came from Hammond in next ten minutes as the home side stepped up the pace.
The second resulted from a brilliant build-up which saw Mbive Lokando playing a through ball to Dagher, who teed up Hammond.
However, Romford were not finished and they came roaring back with a goal from Reynolds.
They then gained a penalty in time added on but Omand made an excellent save to deny Paul Kavanagh.
Hammond could have won it in the dying moments, but he hesitated and the opportunity was lost.
13 November 2011
Posted in 2011-12
For the second week in a row Forest came back from 3-1 down to rescue a high-scoring draw, knowing they could have won it.
Forest welcomed a visiting Romford side with both teams situated just outside the play-offs and looking to gain momentum for a play-off push. It was Romford who started the game brighter, with defender Jack Barry scoring after just 30 seconds after running onto a flick-on from a huge goal-kick and converted the chance at the second attempt.
Forest struggled to get a foothold in the game, and with Romford creating chances including a goal-line clearance by Lukman Mojeed, it was no surprise when Romford’s Kurt Smith made it two after 14 minutes. He latched onto a through ball by Nick Reynolds, who seemed to push Antone Douglas when getting the ball, but the referee deemed the challenge a fair one, much to the chagrin of the Forest fans. Romford had the ball in the net for a third time two minutes later, but the effort was disallowed due to offside.
With Forest needing some inspiration, it took the impressive Manu Dagher to spark them into life. After collecting the ball on the right wing on 26 minutes, Dagher jinked past a couple of Romford players, played a lovely one-two with the returning Jeff Hammond and slotted in off the far post to give Forest a goal with their first real chance of the match. Yet the Forest defence could have undone Dagher’s hard work straight from the restart, when Reynolds raced through on goal, but his shot was well saved by Forest goalkeeper Aaron Omand.
Forest went into half-time 2-1 down knowing their performance deserved worse, but started much better in the second half, with Dagher forcing a save from the on-rushing Romford keeper. Romford then regained their 2-goal advantage in the 55th minute when Smith’s cross was converted by Reynolds, whose header had too much power for Omand, who could only get a hand to the header.
After the goal, Richard Shittu came on for Palmer and had an immediate impact. In the 65th minute Shittu held the ball up well before giving it to Josh Bonnett, who was brought down from behind giving the referee no option but to give a penalty. Bonnett picked himself up to place the penalty in the top corner giving the keeper no chance. The goal was the first of three in a terrific seven minute spell where Forest’s superior fitness showed.
In the 69th minute Jeff Hammond, who was making his first league start for two months after being injured against Maldon & Tiptree, outpaced the Romford defence and coolly placed his shot into the bottom corner to level the game at 3-3. And then three minutes later he grabbed his second by expertly converting Dagher’s excellent cross to make it 4-3 to Forest.
However Forest’s defence lost concentration once more, and after being left off by a poor shot by Smith, Reynolds’ didn’t give them a second chance in the 74th minute by coolly slotting home a cross to level the scores at 4-4. Romford were then given the chance to take the lead when Omand brought down Reynolds in the box. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and booked Omand, who managed to redeem himself by saving the penalty and then bravely throwing himself in front of the resulting rebound.
With both teams pushing for the win, Forest looked dangerous with the pace of Hammond, Dagher and Shittu continually causing problems for the Romford defence, but Forest couldn’t force a late winner, wasting two late corners just before the referee’s whistle ended an amazing game. Forest comeback heroics were terrific to watch, but they can’t continue to start games slowly if they wish to challenge for promotion this year.
13 November 2011
Posted in 2011-12
A frantic, bad-tempered affair at Cricklefields eventually ended four goals apiece despite away side Romford holding a two-goal lead midway through the second half.
Forest got off to the worst possible start as #8 reacted quickest to a flick on from #9 and was set through on goal, eventually beating Aaron Omand in goal, and ‘Boro followed this up by doubling their lead 15 minutes later through #9.
Goalscoring winger Manu Dagher responded for Forest before half time but 10 minutes after the break Romford were two ahead again, this time courtesy of #10. The Stags pegged the visitors back yet again via a Daghar penalty, and then a superb couple of goals in as many minutes from Jeff Hammond capped a stunning comeback before Romford yet again equalised, taking the scoreline, incredibly, to 4-4.
Contested by two sides with contrasting styles, the game had everything, as well as the threat of tempers boiling over throughout, which kept the atmosphere on the pitch tense and extremely competitive right to the final whistle.
The first goal, scored after just 30 seconds, clearly hit Forest hard, as they strived to initiate their quick, direct passing game. Romford, on the other hand, were all about playing long balls forward as quickly as possible throughout the first period, and it was one of these passes that led to the first goal.
With what was to become a feature of the first half, a long ball into #9 was flicked on, finding #8’s supporting run. His good anticipation was rewarded as he sprinted clear of the home side’s defence, and, after his first effort was parried by Aaron Omand, tucked the ball home.
Forest took a long time to recover from this, as the first period was dominated by Romford raining high balls into their forwards, who were getting plenty of joy from them. Conversely, Forest’s front four were struggling to link up, and were perhaps guilty of trying to do things too quickly as they fought to gain a foothold in the match.
It was Romford who struck next, however, making their recent pressure count, and, after a couple of near misses including Lukman Mojeed clearing an effort off the line, #9 beat Omand with a one-on-one.
The visitors were finding themselves through on goal far too easily at this point, and only Omand’s quick reactions coming off his line prevented Romford going further ahead.
Eventually, the hosts gave themselves a way back into the match before half-time through Manu Dagher, who put away Jeff Hammond’s cut back for his seventh of the season.
It was probably no less than Forest deserved after the way they ended the first half, with their passing finally looking like it would come to some fruition following some promising exchanges.
It was looking like the second half would continue like the first, though, as, just over 10 minutes after the break, Romford restored their two-goal lead through #10, who got across Elton Sackey and stooped to head home at the near post despite the best efforts of Omand.
Soon after, though, The Stags were gifted with a way back into the match coutesy of #5, who brought down Joshua Bonnett after the recently introduced Richard Shittu’s height and strength caused problems in the Romford penalty area. Bonnett then dusted himself off to confidently stroke home the spot-kick to take his tally to eight for the season.
Minutes later, though, Forest were celebrating again, scoring an excellent equaliser through Jeff Hammond, as the pacey striker skinned #5, got onto the end of a through ball and made no mistake with the finish.
And three minutes after that, he put the hosts ahead, finishing the best move of the game involving and excellent combination down the left by sweeping home the outstanding Dagher’s whipped cross.
Again, this wasn’t the end of the action, as Forest seemed to switch off at the kick-off, and ‘Boro profited from a goalmouth scramble for #10 to smash home his second.
The visitors even squandered a golden opportunity to win the match late on, as #3’s poor penalty was deflected away by the excellent Omand.
By the final whistle, both sides would have to agree that a draw was the fairest result in a game that always had a feisty undercurrent to it, brought about by inconsistent refereeing and the perceived injustices committed on both sides.
This result leaves Romford 10th after bring leapfrogged by Harlow Town, whereas Forest also slip down a place to 8th after Potters Bar’s victory over Tiptree United. The Stags, though, could climb as high as third if they win their multiple games in hand over the teams above them.
Photos by Rod Lewis:
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