Non-League and Academy football writer

After a record of one win and one draw, Waltham Forest Borough’s third Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture of this season, came against an Ongar Town side who had won one game and lost the other. Played at Parsloes Park Hub on Friday evening, after a dramatic ending to the game, Waltham Forest Borough would score a very late winner, deep into second half stoppage time. As they recorded a 2-1 home win.

Waltham Forest Borough were undoubtably the more creative side during the first half of Friday’s game. In a good first half from Halil Hassan’s side, two of their standout moments in the first half arrived with in quite a bit of space of each other. Firstly, the very inventive and tricky Louie Cooper would latch onto the ball down the left-hand side of the Ongar penalty area, after meeting a through-ball pass. After having rounded the Ongar goalkeeper with the ball, his resulting low effort on goal was well read and cleared off the goal-line by Charlie Geraghty. Following on from that chance, Louie Cooper’s well delivered corner-kick into the Ongar box was headed narrowly wide by Lionel Stone, before half-time. 

On to the second half now, and left winger Louie Cooper’s influence on this game for the home side continued. Waltham Forest Borough would go very close on two occasions to taking the lead, during the early stages of the second half. The first chance saw Louie Cooper have a low effort on goal (from close range) be well saved and kept out by Reis Hasekilerden. Then soon afterwards, Louie Cooper would cut inside with the ball from the left flank, before hitting a good effort (from 20 yards out) just over the Ongar goal.

Ongar Town would continue to stay in the game well, as the second half progressed. They came close themselves to taking the lead, after substitute Henry Mort had headed an effort just over, after meeting Charlie Geraghty’s corner-kick delivery into the Waltham Forest Borough box. The home team did however, look the more likely side to open the scoring. Next, and Jack Barnes had done well to work the space on the edge of the Ongar box, before powering a low effort a fraction wide of their goal. But, some time later and Waltham Forest Borough did eventually manage to take the lead. Some great skill from Louie Cooper down the left-hand side of the box, would result in him getting the ball across to Luke Dimond. His effort was initially really well saved by Reis Hasekilerden, from close range. But, on the follow-up Luke Dimond would finish into the goal, 1-0.

There was to be a highly dramatic ending to Friday’s game, in second half stoppage time. First of all and after they had kept on believing in their ability to get something out of this game, a youthful Ongar side must surely have thought that they had got a point from this game, having scored a very late leveller. As Charlie Geraghty’s floated free-kick delivery into the home team’s penalty area hadn’t quite been gathered by the Waltham Forest Borough goalkeeper. With Henry Mort managing to get to the ball and finish into the goal from close range, 1-1.

In what was literally the last bit of action from this game, following that Ongar equaliser. Waltham Forest Borough would score a dramatic late winner. The overall player of the match, the excellent Louie Cooper was once again involved. With the winger having progressed the ball down the left, before playing a superbly weighted, early through-ball pass on to the run of substitute Albert James. He would receive the ball on the left-hand side of the Ongar box, before finishing well and low beyond the goalkeeper, 2-1.

Ongar frustrated Waltham Forest Borough for long spells in this game, and they deserve credit for that. With my two Ongar Town players of the match being Charlie Geraghty and Reis Hasekilerden. However, on the balance of play I thought that the home team deserved their win, with the very skilful Louie Cooper, as mentioned previously, being my player of the match.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

Waltham Forest Borough:

(1) Arsenijs Kosarins

(18) Ritchie Malanda

(3) George Taylor 

(15) Ecclesiaste Kipa

(20) Lionel Stone 

(10) Jack Barnes

(4) Conor Corrigan (captain)

(16) Melvine Boni

(9) Luke Dimond 

(14) Tyrell Holder 

(7) Louie Cooper

(11) Aaron Blake

(17) Albert James 

(5) Jacob Dixon 

(8) Michael Alfred

(2) Kian McEvoy 

Ongar Town:

(1) Reis Hasekilerden

(2) Jacey Emmanuel 

(3) Mackenzie Clouston

(4) Charlie Geraghty

(5) Josh Manley 

(6) Endrit Abazi

(7) Luke O’Connor 

(8) Thomas Jacobi (captain)

(9) Teddy Hogger

(10) Ferhat Canlier 

(11) Milan Trotman

Substitutes:

(14) Max Housden 

(15) Henry Mort 

(16) Antoniou Fusco

(17) Ruben Costache 

(18) Lloyd Gullefer