Wantage returned to Wilks Park, Flackwell Heath for their second game in a row, this time to face ground sharing Marlow United. Marlow took the lead in the 1st minute when Wantage’s Andy Wallbridge lost possession in midfield. Collecting the ball and moving forward quickly, Marlow striker Andy Nicol hit the post with a hard struck drive, and the ball rebounded to Nick Flint who drove past Darryl Simms in style to put the ‘home’ side 1 – 0 up. Within a minute Wantage drew level. Sam Belcher, enjoying his midfield role, won the ball on the edge of the Marlow penalty area and drove low and hard past Carl Murray in the Marlow goal. With the hardy travelling supporters still gripping their pre-match cups of tea, Wantage took the lead in the sixth minute, when Marlow defender Ross Middleton unaccountably handled the ball in the box. Danny Keen deceived keeper Murray by mis-hitting his spot kick, the ball creeping in via the post.The frenetic pace of the first six minutes, producing three goals, was not going to be sustained. Although both sides looked threatening going forward, the unpredictable bounce from the bumpy pitch made ball control difficult. Wantage came more into the game as the half progressed. In the 36th minute, the lively Richard Guy, who seems destined not to score, had his ‘woodwork’ moment in this game, as his header from a well worked move with fellow striker Danny Keen, hit the bar. Four minutes later, Guy broke through a ragged Marlow defence, only to have his well struck drive brilliantly saved by Murray.
The second half started with a goal in under 30 seconds, as Danny Keen chased a ball through to Marlow keeper Murray. The goalkeeper attempted to clear from the edge of the box, but only succeeded having his clearance blocked by the onrushing Keen, the ball rebounding into the Marlow goal. From this point Wantage dominated, increasing their lead to 4 – 1 in the 54th minute, when Richard Guy slipped a precise through ball to Danny Keen, who finished confidently past Murray for his well deserved hat-trick. The Marlow keeper had to leave the pitch because of injury and Marlow, having lost Captain Mark Doswell through injury in the first half, once more had to reshuffle their pack. Wantage replaced Keen with Sean McKeon, and the substitute striker was soon in action, as he drove in low and hard from the edge of the box to put Wantage 5 – 1 ahead. A few minutes later McKeon grabbed his second, as the unselfish and busy Richard Guy broke on the left and clipped a delightful cross, which was headed in by McKeon for Wantage’s sixth and final goal.
This was a good all round performance from Wantage, built on secure defending from the back line of Adam Learoyd, Tom Rowe and Gary Swann, and an uncompromising midfield featuring great performances from Ellis Langford, Sam Belcher, and Andy Wallbridge. A return to form, just in time for the visit to near neighbours Shrivenham on Saturday, and away to Bicester next Tuesday.
Team :- Darryl Simms, Tom Rowe, Andy Wallbridge, Adam Learoyd, Gary Swann,
Sam Belcher, Gavin Jones, Danny Keen, Richard Guy, Ellis Langford, Matty Horsell.
Substitutes :-Liam Illsley, Sean McKeon, Richie Bourne.
Its great the boys are back firing on all cylinders! Hope we get as many people at shrivenham as possible - its a big game and the lads know plenty is at stake.
