So today I was over at the Matchday Centre, Walthamstow, for an E17 derby as Wadham Lodge hosted Waltham Forest in the Essex Senior League.
Both sides play their home games at the ground but today was Lodge’s home game. The two sides have had very differing seasons to date, Lodge flying in the top four whilst Forest had lost nine out of ten league games and sat second bottom. But this was a derby and the sides had gone to penalties in their only meeting so far earlier this season which Lodge won but a tough game was expected.
The hosts started well and on 2 minutes won a free kick in a good position but Mantovani hit the effort straight at Hunt in the Forest goal and a couple of minutes later the visitors attacked well down the right but the ball into the box was just intercepted by keeper French ahead of Forest striker Tulloch.
On 7 minutes Lodge won another free kick in a dangerous position but they failed to capitalise on this as Gayer’s free kick was saved well by Hunt before he managed to save the follow up from Bankole as the hosts continued to press. On 18 minutes good play from Bankole saw him play in Georgiou who sadly for the hosts blasted way over as there finishing continued to dessert them.
Lodge were made to pay for these misses as midway through the half Forest took the lead when a free kick swung in by Lopes de Matos saw an effort from Akbayrak saved by keeper French although he could not hold onto the effort and saw Reid follow up to slam the ball home from close range and stun the hosts. Lodge 0 Forest 1.
However the hosts continued to press their opponents and on the half hour created another chance as a ball laid back to Mantovani inside the area by Georgiou saw the former’s effort saved comfortably by Hunt and then three minutes later again the hosts won a free kick in a decent area but yet again it was a poor effort as Ellery hit the strike straight at Hunt.
The game was being played at an unusual slow and subdued tempo for a derby game but on 37 minutes came a crazy moment. Lodge full back Gayer overran the ball down the right and saw himself and Forest centre half Samuel fly into a challenge on each other of which the Forest player came off worst in. It happened right in front of the Forest bench and they went mad and the referee ran straight over and sent off the Lodge full back but after Samuel had received treatment he was then also sent off as apparently the referee felt he went in harder and they both were out of control so dismissed them both for dangerous play!!! Lodge ended up with the free kick so work that one out, it was one of the most bizarre decisions I’ve seen made by a referee but it was now ten a side.
Then in first half stoppage time Forest were reduced to nine men as after fouling his opponent Akbayrak then pushed his opponent over whilst walking over to the referee and was duly dismissed for a second booking meaning Forest would have to play the entire second half with one player less. They did at least have a lead to protect though as they went into the break. It was a crazy end to the half though.
Half Time Wadham Lodge 0 Waltham Forest 1
Lodge needed a quick goal early in the second half and on 46 minutes Georgiou should of done better as he ran at goal but failed to shoot on more than one occasion and saw his chance snuffed out and then two minutes later a cross to the back post saw Mantovani’s downward header into the ground easy for Hunt. However moments later came a cracker of an equaliser as Lodge full back Williams let fly from 35 yards or so out and saw his curling dipping effort deceive Hunt who could only push onto the post and in and cue wild celebrations amongst the Lodge players. Lodge 1 Forest 1.
Moments after this goal Lodge should really have gone ahead as Bankole’s effort was saved by the legs of Hunt and the rebound was skied over by Mukuna and just past the hour mark after a period of Lodge pressure the hosts tested Hunt yet again as centre half Holt cut inside and unleashed a left footed effort which the keeper beat away.
On 68 minutes Mukuna saw a weak effort go straight at Hunt as the hosts just could not find that second goal however hard they tried and four minutes later Bankole cut inside and struck an effort just over the bar and then from the hosts next attack Holt headed a corner over.
Time was ticking away slowly and Lodge were beginning to rush and look slightly concerned but on 75 minutes came a moment on controversy that gave the hosts the lead they deserved. A ball into the area saw keeper Hunt and forward Georgiou go into a challenge and the forward won the battle but injured the keeper in the process who laid down hurt but no foul was given so Georgiou duly squared across goal for Owusu to tap home into the empty net. Forest were very unhappy and felt their keeper had been fouled and to compound their misery Hunt was carried off injured after lengthy treatment. Lodge 2 Forest 1.
Lodge then had the lead at last and to be fair it was a deserved lead and they had barely been threatened by the Forest forward line all game. On 85 minutes Forest did have an attempt at goal but it was way way over the stand behind the goal so you couldn’t really call it an effort and with two minutes of the ninety left Lodge sealed the points when Downs did well down the left before his cross was met by a powerful header from Pennells on debut to score and make sure the points went to Tony Ievoli’s side. Lodge 3 Forest 1.
The final few minutes bared little else and so the hosts move up to third as a result of their win whilst for Forest its another defeat, there tenth in eleven league outings, as they remain joint bottom with Enfield 1893 on just a single point.
Wadham Lodge 3 Waltham Forest 1
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