We Are The Stags Online

Forest looking for their third win in succession against lowly Great Wakering, had Matthew Judge starting up front and kept Nej Hussein in goal, this as reward for good showings in the previous two matches.
 Great Wakering came to the Lodge with a game plan that almost got them three points: a great deal of shouting was a minus to their plan but the way they hassled the Stags every time they got the ball meant that the home team had little time on the ball and were often pressured into making passes that were hurried and inaccurate.
The opening two minutes looked quite good for the Stags, they put Rovers under some pressure but all went wrong in the 3rd minute when Rovers took a surprise lead. Rovers counter attacked after the Stags had lost the ball and play came to the Stags half 40 yards out from goal.  Joel Etienne Clarke stole the ball from home defender Marc Ward after he’d slipped; his quick pass to Steve Butterworth opened up the home defence and Butterworth was able to cross for Neil Richmond to score at the near post. Really a very good goal.
Rovers continued to press and could have gone further ahead on 20 minutes when Batunga gave away a free kick on the left touch line. The kick was swung over and Buterworth was able to rise and head goalward bringing a good save from Hussein. Thankfully, the flag was raised for off side.
After half an hour had passed, the Stags seemed to be starting to find their way forward and began to look more menacing but they were still suffering from the close attentions of the Rovers marking which was still very effective.
Rovers applied more pressure and won a series of corners around the 40 minute mark.
Things changed however, on the 43^rd minute when Papy Kanyuka made space for himself on the right and cut back a perfect ball to the edge of the six yard box: Afolabi Orilonishe was on hand to stab the ball home with Rovers defenders having left him unmarked. Suddenly the Stags burst into life and had three more scoring chances before the end of the half. Both Orilonishe and Matthew Judge turned on the style and Rovers looked punch drunk until the whistle to end the half.
Forest must have wished that there was no interval when they returned to the pitch, they were unable to replicate the play of those final first half moments. Rovers were able to compose themselves in the break and effectively shut out the home side for long periods.
On the hour Rovers attacked and had three chances in the space of ten seconds, they hit the post, miss kicked and brought a brilliant save fro Hussein which probably earned the home side the points.
That’s not to say that Rovers did not get let off too. Once again Kanyuka was involved on the right wing. H cut into the box again and passed to Thomas whose first time shot was stopped on the line by John Heffer.
Then Orilonishe had a really good chance when he broke down the left wing but he was cynically upended by Butterworth who was yellow carded for his troubles.
The game ended with Stags ruing their missed chances, they could have taken all three points on the 90^th minute after Kanyuka, once again, got the ball over to Thomas whose deft header was well saved by Harrison.
Both Rovers and Forest had chances to get the winner, indeed Forest must thank ‘keeper Nej Hussein for some great ‘keeping which allowed a divisionof the spoils.