Waltham Forest 5-0 Basildon United

Forest started the season in style, hammering last season’s league runners-up Basildon United.

Forest were dealt a double-blow before kick off, with Gareth Madden unavailable and Jeff Hammond picking up an injury on training in Thursday. Rheo Joseph was brought in on Friday evening to cover for Hammond.

The game started with Forest setting a high intensity and work rate which would continue throughout the game, but it was Basildon who had the first occasion of the match, with a strong appeal for a penalty turned down.

But Forest went straight up the other end and Brian Moses blazed over from just a matter of yards.

Moses made up for his miss just a few minutes later though, latching onto a long-ball and firing in off both posts to give Forest the lead.

The Basildon defence were afforded no time to play out from the back as they intended, with Ahmed Mohamed and Ryan Maxwell picking up the scraps in midfield.

One of only two survivors from Forest’s squad last season Prince Madu made it 2 for Forest, robbing a Bees defender of the ball before firing an effort into the top corner.

United came out for the second half giving far more than they did in the first, but only threatened the Forest goal through a number of corners.

Madu was at the heart of the move which confirmed Forest’s victory, latching onto a poor touch and squaring for Correy Davidson to tap the ball home.

 

From then on, it was one way traffic as Davidson supplied a perfect through ball for Moses to smash home his second.

 

Moses then rounded off a fine afternoon for himself and Forest with a deflected shot from just outside the box which had enough to beat Jason Baker.

Forest had not won an opening day fixture since 2011, when they beat Soham Town Rangers 3-2, and sit at the top of the table – possibly for the first time ever in July.

The team will travel to St Margaretsbury for a friendly on Tuesday before starting an FA Cup adventure against Redbridge on Saturday.

Match highlights

Match photos, by Shoaib Vali, Passing Piranhas

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