Marlow 1-0 Westfield ( att : 142 ) – Isthmian League South-Central 2021/22

September 11, 2021

Last autumn, when limited amounts of spectators were permitted to attend non-league football matches during a break between lockdowns, I was able to attend three matches. One of these was a match between Marlow and Westfield in October 2020, which was a thrilling a 3-3 draw, and was featured in these diaries.

https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2020/10/marlow-3-3-westfield-att-190.html

Nearly a year on, I have again arranged to watch a match with the same friend I watched that match with, and what better than to watch the next encounter between the two sides !

Westfield’s outstanding performer in last year’s match was striker Darnell Goather-Braithwaite, who left the club to join Vanarama National League South Hemel Hempstead when season Isthmian League season was terminated, but he is currently with Isthmian Premier side Wingate and Finchley. Distinctive keeper Renell Mackenzie-Lyle is now with Hayes and Yeading in the Southern League Premier South Division, although other players who earned a mentioned in the match report ( Caleb Wright, Aderi Dede & Troy Timothy ) are still with Westfield.

Westfield have had a mixed start to the 2021/22 season, beating Tooting and Mitcham 3-0 at home, drawing 1-1 at home to Chertsey but losing 1-3 at Uxbridge. They fell at the first hurdle in the FA Cup, losing 1-3 at home to Hythe Town after a 3-3 away draw, and they faced a 35 mile journey from Woking via the M25/M4 to get to today’s game.

Striker Afo Soyemi-Olabade, on loan from Hayes and Yeading, has scored 3 league goals plus one in Cup, whilst Kai Hamilton-Olise has one league goal and one in the Cup to his credit. However, neither were in Westfield’s match-day squad for this game.

For Marlow, James Clark, their hat-trick hero from last season’s game, has joined Bracknell Town, where he has reunited with Bobby Wilkinson, his boss when he was at Hungerford and Wealdstone. Other than this, the nine of last season’s starting line-up are still with club.

Marlow have won both of their league matches so far, 3-0 at home South Park and 2-0 at Chalfont St Peter. They are still in the FA Cup, having navigated two rounds so far, beating Slimbridge 3-0 at home and then winning 1-0 at Sheppey United with Junaid Bell grabbing the only goal of a bad tempered tie, in which Marlow finished with 10 men after a red card to Marcus Mealing. Next, they now face a winnable tie in the Second Qualifying Round at Abbey Rangers of the Combined Counties League

Admission at Marlow is £9, or £5 for concessions and £1 for under-16s, which is unchanged from last season. Paper programmes are no longer produced, but free on-line programmes are available.

Programme : https://www.marlowfc.co.uk/downloads/marlow/2021-09-11-MFC_vs_-Westfield_FC.pdf

The temperature at kick-off time was 21 degrees with the weather being cloudy and dry and with a gentle breeze. The pre-match music over the tannoy was an interesting selection of music from the 1970’s, including the Stranglers, Sham 69 and what may have been the original version of Love Of The Common People before Paul Young got his hands on it.

There were several selections of Rebellion Brewery ales on tap in the bar, but I choose the Beck Vier at £3.80. The food/tea hut had a number of options such a hot dogs, bacon baps and sausage baps at £3 each, with cheeseburgers at £4.

The match started quietly, with the first piece of action occurring in the 12^th minute when a cross from Jordan Brown, who was probably the most creative player in the whole game, was miscued by a Westfield defender and went narrowly wide for a corner. From the subsequent corner, Westfield keeper Smart managed to get a punch away under pressure but the resulting cross back across the face of the goal evaded everyone. Westfield quickly responded, and Sam Evans saw his shot from just outside the penalty area pushed away by Marlow keeper Simon Grant.

Westfield’s numbers did not give a too reliable indication of where the players were actually playing. Number 8 Nakatani-Brown appeared to either a left-back or the left-side of a defensive back three, number 5 Evans was on the right-wing, and number 9 Aidan King was floating between centre-back and the defensive midfielder in front of the back line.

Marlow centre-forward Nnamdi Nwachuku, formerly of Colchester United started to make his presence felt with a mix of robust and skillful approach play, and Marlow should have taken the lead after 20 minutes. Midfielder Artwell was put clear by an incisive pass but with a one on one with the keeper screwed his shot horribly wide. However, from where I was standing he did look off-side and the Westfield bench made the appropriate inquiries to the linesman !

My colleague missed a flurry of activity went he went to the bar to get more drinks. Firstly, Brown set-up Nwachuku but Smart made a good save, and when play went to the other end it looked as if Winsbury had to give Westfield the lead but somehow his close range effort was blocked. The ball was then worked to Artwell who went down after a clumsy challenge and the referee pointed to the spot.

Unfortunately for Marlow, the previously impressive Nwachuku spoilt his copy-book with a weak penalty, which Smart was able to push away for a corner.

In an end-to-end spell of the game, Westfield then had the next good chance, Hill laying off to Dede but Grant made another fine save. The half ended in a flurry of chances, Nwachuku showed good control and skill to beat Alabi but finished poorly to enable the keeper to make another “smart” save. Hill fired just wide for Westfield, and when Grant dropped a corner under pressure Dede turned and hit the outside of the post. In the last play of the first 45 minutes, good approach play saw a lay-off to give Rogers a chance to shoot from just outside the penalty area, but unfortunately for Marlow his effort went high and over the bar.

A 0-0 half-time score-line scarcely did just to the entertainment provided by both sides, and whilst Marlow had a slight edge and missed a penalty, Westfield also had a number of chances.

The second half also started slowly, but the first goal arrived in the 54^th minute. A cross from the left reached Nwachuku at the back post and his shot crashed down off the underside of the bar. Artwell made sure by bundling the ball over the line, but the tannoy announcer gave the goal to Nwachuku.

Five minutes later Westfield produced a good move down the left, and the lay-back from the by-line found Dede. However, a brave block by Rogers prevented Dede from getting a shot in, and the Marlow player required lengthy treatment for an injury incurred in the process.

With 20 minutes remaining Hill made a penetrating run from halfway but rather than passing to Evans who was left completely free, he chose to shot but the effort was blocked, and the chance had gone. Five minutes later Evans was put clear but the move was halted by the linesman’s flag for offside, which looked a dubious decision. It is often a clue on the accuracy of a decision when a defender says “Lino, well done” !

Marlow nearly doubled their lead with 7 minutes left, but Bell’s effort went a few feet wide, and with time running out Westfield put more pressure on the Marlow defence. Their best chance came with 5 minutes remaining, but a dangerous free-kick from Hill went across the face of the goal with no attacking players able to get on the end of it, and the ball went narrowly wide of the far post.

After this escape, Marlow saw out the rest of the match in relative comfort to seal a 1-0 victory, which maintained their 100% start to the season, and they are still to concede a goal this season. As a result, they moved to 4^th in the table, one point off the leaders, but with a game in hand. Westfield slipped to 10^th but played their point in a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining encounter.