We Are The Stags Online

By Tony Brazier

After Saturday, The Stags needed to regroup and show that they are still a force to be reckoned with, and Tuesday’s match at Sittingbourne proved how resilient Hakan’s young charges can be.

Sittingbourne were able to field probably their strongest side since September, but were giving a debut to goalkeeper Rowan Arnott who proved to be the busier of the 2 keepers over the 90 minutes. For Forest Marc Ward passed a late fitness test to make the starting 11.

Sittingbourne started strongly but Didier Batunga broke up the attack to set Afolabi Orilonishe free, but he was just offside. Batunga was then provider to Wesley Thomas who shot over the bar.

Sittingbourne back and forced an early corner, but Marc Ward and Charlie Hasler dealt with the danger. Glen Harvey then blocked an effort by Lee Hockey at the expense of a corner.

On 7 minutes after a sequence of throw-ins Mark Lovell crossed to the unmarked Hockey, but he dragged his shot wide. From the goal kick Leon Belton-McKenzie fed the ball to Richard Georgiou who passed to Thomas, but again his effort was just off target. The resultant goal-kick was intercepted by Georgiou, and Thomas found Belton-McKenzie, but his header was deflected for a corner.

For Sittingbourne a clearance by Joe Dowley was helped on by Lee Browning to Hockey whose shot was blocked, and Mitchell Sherwood put the rebound wide.

Further pressure by Forest saw Glen Harvey play the ball through to Georgiou, but from 20 yards his shot skimmed the bar, then Bai Masse Jallow and Darren Duporte linked up, but the final shot was well taken by Arnott. Mid way through the half a fierce cross by McKenzie was well taken by Arnott.

Sittingbourne played the offside trap and regularly caught Thomas and McKenzie beyond the second-last defender.

Pressure from Sittingbourne saw a low shot by Kieran Marsh turned away by Hasler, and soon after Carlos Brown and Ward were called upon to make important clearances.

Forest made the first foray after the break with a move involving 5 players.

Sittingbourne then earned 2 quick yellow cards. James Campbell was booked for a late tackle on Orilonishe after he had beaten 2 defenders and was about to burst into the penalty area. Then Hockey brought down Jallow to join his captain in Mr Hoare’s notebook. The resulting free kick was played to McKenzie, but his shot just missed its target.

Forest looked the most likely to score, but again were met by stubborn resistance in the Sittingbourne defence.

On 70 minutes McKenzie fouled Toby Ashmore and became the third player to receive a yellow card.

However Forest continued to press and forced to quick corners. On 75 minutes Thomas’ shot from the second was blocked and cleared by Ainsworth. The home side’s attack was forced wide, but a mis-timed challenge by Georgiou earned them a penalty, which Mark Lovell placed just beyond Hasler’s reach.

A late challenge by Harvey on Browning earned him a booking, but he got back to clear the resulting free kick for a corner.

With 10 minutes left Ward collected the ball just inside his own half and made a surging run towards the home goal. He slipped the ball left to McKenzie, who sent back a pin-point return for Ward to fire into the top corner from the edge of the box for a deserved equaliser.

Browning and substitute Ricky Spiller made progress down the left flank to win a corner for The Brickies, and the cross was met by Hockey but clipped the top of the bar. At the other end Kanyuka saw his effort blocked.

Forest pressed for the winner and Ricky Spiller cleared a Hughes effort off the line.

Two minutes from time saw a bizarre sending off when Sittingbourne’s Campbell having gone off for treatment to a “blood” injury returned to the pitch without being checked by the referee, who had no alternative other than to issue him with a second yellow card.

The home side then settled for their point and blocked off the remaining Forest attacks.

Teams:

Sittingbourne – Rowan Arnott, Toby Ashmore, Joe Dowley, Paul Ainsworth, James Campbell, Kieran Marsh, Lee Browning, Lee Hockey, Mark Lovell, Bradley Spice and Mitchell Sherwood (Ricky Spiller 83). Subs not used Clint Gooding, Peter Taylor, Tristan Knowles and Dan Tanner.

Waltham Forest – Charlie Hasler, Glen Harvey, Didier Batunga, Marc Ward, Carlos Brown, Darren Duporte, Bai Mass Lette Jallow, Richard Georgiou (Papy Kanyuka 78), Wesley Thomas (Jermain Hughes 76), Leon Belton-McKenzie. Subs not used Sosthene Hugues Guei, Nicky Stevens and Nejdet Hussein.

Attendance 131.

A bad day at the office or a wake up call? Whichever, the Stags did not do themselves justice in this table topping tussle. Strangely, the first half, when only two goals were scored, saw the Stags as a largely ineffective strike force with a defence trying to keep Wood at bay; conversely the Stags let in 4 second half goals but looked 100% better in the attacking department.
Right from the start Wood took the initiative and piled on the pressure with ‘keeper Imber wellying the ball upfield at every occasion and Mark Smith at the back cutting out almost every ball attempting to reach the Forest forwards.
The writing was on the wall when, in the 13^th minute ex Stag Ian Cooper received the ball in front of an almost open Forest goal but he managed to slash the ball well wide of the mark. Then came first goal came after 15 minutes when the ball came to Darrell Cox about ten yards out from goal he flicked a somewhat speculative scoop over his right shoulder; unhappily the Forest ‘keeper Nej Hussein was off his line and the ball went over his head into the net.
There was little joy from the officials either when, a few minutes later, Wes Thomas seemed clear through on goal and was brought back by an extremely late flag. Had Thomas scored , things might have been different but, instead, Wood began to pile on the pressure again and won a free kick from an innocuous looking tackle. The Forest wall seemed badly lined up and the ‘keeper was badly placed behind it as Michael Black shot home from thirty yards without bending the ball around the wall or the wall breaking.
Five minutes before half time, Marc Ward had to go off injured, his replacement was Richard Georgiou. This meant a reshuffle at the back with Batunga going to central defence and Orilonishe dropping to left back. Even though the Stags were to mount a few more attacks, these were easily dealt with by the home side.
The second half was a very different affair though. The Stags entered the field with new purpose and looked on for a goal.
Almost straight away Thomas broke through the home defence and made for the by line. His cross looked to be a winner but it just evaded the two Forest men coming in unguarded at the back post. Then a few moments later a cross came in from the right and Imber dropped the ball (complained to the referee as all cotton wool ‘keepers do) whilst Kanyuka had a stinging shot that went just wide. Imber got it wrong again when he went flapping for a corner kick that made its way to Kanyuka but he was unable to get any power on the header that went just wide.
The reward for all this endeavour came on the hour when Wood undeservedly got the third through Cox after the Stags defence failed to make any kind of attempt to stop players running through the penalty box.
Then things looked brighter when Thomas scored on 68 minutes with a beautiful header after a cross from the left.
This heralded a fight back and the midfield with Kanyuka on the right began to cause the home defence lots of trouble. However, it was the frailty in the Stags defence that allowed Chris Watters to come in from the right without a tackle being attempted, he passed to Leon Archer to score what was a simple tap in.
Cox went on to complete his hattrick and Greg Morgan scored in the 4^th minute of injury time.
Nothing went right for the Stags; even when  Tommy Williams pulled Kanyuka so far back by the shirt he looked like he was a washing line, the referee gave the “Nelson” touch.
The good news: Daniel Charge and Getro Kilapi were on the bench. Charge made his debut late in the second half and looked good.