Dwade James netted a
brace late on as Walthamstow came from behind to defeat Stanway Rovers at The
Hawthorns, lifting themselves into fourth spot in the ESL Premier and keeping
their slim promotion hopes alive as a result.
The first chance fell to the visitors and saw Samrai Gebrai
get into a decent position but fire his cross shot over the bar, before hosts
keeper Peter Haxell produced a wonderful save to tip James effort onto the
woodwork, this after a poor defensive clearance had gone straight to the
striker.
Marcus Bowers then sent a customary long-throw into the
dangerzone, and Haxell came to claim but totally misjudged the flight of the ball
and saw it sail over him and into the net, with James a fraction to late to nod
over the line, and as it had gone straight in from the throw, the goal did not
stand.
James then almost got in for Stow again but an awful touch
allowed the ball go through to Haxell, before the hosts first real attack saw a
dangerous ball into the six-yard box cleared away by the visitors.
James then got into a good position for the visitors, but
his glancing header at goal was straight at Haxell, before the hosts saw a Fion
O’Reilly effort blocked by the visitor’s defence after they could not clear
their lines.
Gebrai then saw an effort saved by hosts keeper Haxell,
before James drove forward at the Rovers back-line but could then only scuff an
effort wide of the post, and then Haxell had to make yet another stop, tipping
wide another Stow effort from the edge of the box.
In a rare hosts attack, Tyrone Scarlett saw a long-range
effort go straight at James Bransgrove, before Bowers almost broke the deadlock
in spectacular style down the other end, cutting inside before curling a beauty
of an effort which thumped off the hosts crossbar with Haxell nowhere near it.
And then James managed to find himself free inside the visitor’s
box for a header, but he took his eye off the ball and totally missed the ball
with his head, and the chance was gone.
It meant despite all the chances the visitors had created, they had
nothing to show for it and went into the break level.
Half Time Stanway
Rovers 0 Walthamstow 0
The second period carried on pretty much how the first half
had ended, with Stow on the front foot, and James managed to shift the ball
onto his left foot before sending an effort wide, before Stow got in again
through James but Haxell came to make another save.
Bowers then curled a free-kick wide of the hosts post,
before Gebrai burst into the box on the left and then went down inside the box,
but the referee decided no penalty and the game continued.
Symonds then fired a decent effort from range at the Stanway
goal but Haxwell again got down to save the effort, and after all the chances
the visitors had missed, they paid the price midway through the half when a host’s
corner saw Tommy Spillane volley home from close range, and Stanway had an unlikely
lead.
And while Stow were still coming to terms to this set-back,
Rovers flashed one across the six-yard bix as they so nearly doubled their lead,
before down the other end a superb ball from second half substitute Ollie
Fortune released James in behind, but yet again he saw his effort saved by Haxell.
Gebrai then saw an effort beaten away by Haxell before
Bowers turned a fired the loose ball over the bar, and the visitors passed up
yet another opportunity when a loose ball fell to Fortune, but he could only
control and then volley over from inside the box.
And the hosts should then have doubled their lead and really
given the visitors a mountain to climb when substitute Jay Nash was sent clear,
and with Bransgrove out of goal to narrow the angle Nash could only lob the
ball over the target, and Stow could breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Rovers then saw a diving header go straight at Bransgrove,
but with eleven minutes remaining the visitors had a golden chance to level
when the referee gave a handball against Rovers inside the box, meaning a penalty
for the visitors, much to the hosts disgust. After the dust had settled though James sent
Haxell the wrong way and Stow had ten or so minutes to win the game.
Bowers then tried to muscle his way into the dangerzone but
could only poke wide of the hosts goal, and then came the winning moment, and
again it was shrouded in controversy, as after the ball appeared to strike the
hand of James, he went on and slotted beyond Haxell to put Stow ahead in the 86th
minute.
Stanway were furious and surrounded the referee quite
aggressively, they were adamant the goal should not have stood and it resulted
in keeper Haxell and defender Milo Grimes going into the referee’s notebook for
their rather over-zealous protests. But
they now had four minutes plus added on time to try and salvage a draw from
this one now.
Fortune then saw another effort saved by hosts keeper Haxell
before the rebound flew straight back out to James who could not sort out his
feet in time and it just hit him and went away from goal, and despite some late
pressure from Stanway it was the visitors who managed to claim the three points
and keep themselves within touching distance of the top two.
Full Time Stanway
Rovers 1 Walthamstow 2
No comments:
Post a Comment