Mk Irish looking to hit a promotion place today.

MkIrish before today’s match with bottom of the league Ware were sitting in 9th position. Today’s match was looking easy for them with a certain three points to move them possibly up as far as 4th in the league. However would everything turn out as it looked on paper? The local match of the day is the FA cup tie between Chesham Utd and Real Bedford. GMK news will also be reporting from this match as the afternoon progresses. MK irish entered onto the pitch with a loud mk irish supporter banging on his drum ready to inspire the team on from the start.

Above - MK Irish greet bottom of the league Ware

Mk Irish drummer very vocal in thr new home stand at the start of the match.

With the sun still out in early October, Irish opened reasonably well throughting off danger and trying to create opportunities. In the 8th min, they won a scramble in the Ware goal mouth and created their first real opportunity which went wide after being clipped away by the keeper. The corner earnt off it was dissppointing and went straight onto the keeper’s hands. One min later, the ball was up the other end and Ware were also starting to knock on heaven’s door with an a non dangerous shot at goal. By the end of the first quarter, Irish had felt out Ware but shown limited signs of getting the lead and earning the three points urgently required to feed their promotion career expectations for the 26/27 season. Irish needed to want it more but Ware were managing to hold them off in a brave attempt to try and turn around their feeling of relegation inevitability. In the 18th min, Irish frustration came in the form of a foul on a ware player sent diving onto the ground. The free kick rewarded was too quickly taken and easiy dealt with by the Irish defence.

Above- new Mk Irish scoreboard near to the entrance enclosure of the Manor Field, Fenny Stratford ground.

By the end of the second quarter Irish were still being contained by Ware. More alarming for Irish was the fact that Ware were continuing to create goal scoring opportunities of their own. As the match moved towards half time, it looked like it could be anybody’s. In the 31st Ware won a free kick just outside the Irish penalty box but the kick went straight into the wall of Irish defenders. In the 33rd Irish retaliated with a long shot outside the Ware box which would have gone in had not the keeper got an excellent save to it. Ware kept attacking and did not look like capitulating before the half time whistle. In the 36th a Ware striker got a dangerous header in which would have also gone in had it not hit the ground first. The sun came more out as half time approached but the same could not be said of the play. The match was in serious stalemate which hopefully the half time break and managerial talkings would sort out. In the 40th min, another shot at goal was headed off the goal line by an Irish defender. In the final min, a Ware diving header went wide. Ware at the close of the first half were looking the more dangerous but dedpite this the stalemate continued right up to the whistle with all players going into the changing rooms to a 0-0 draw.

A more interesting game had developed at Chesham Utd’s meadow ground. In the 31st, Chesham went 1-0 ahead but real Bedord were able to quickly equalise by the 34th. Ten minutes later Chesham were able to re exert their authority and had gone 2-1 up into the changing rooms at half time.

Ware started the first quarter of the second half with two early corners. The sun came out more and the Irish drummer started to sing louder and bang harder on his drum to try and inspire Irish to actually capturing the three points which was theirs for the taking. The only thing necessary to make this happen was a step up in mk irish play. By the end of the first quarter of the second half, Irish’s play was only mediocre and there were no real signs from their players that they wanted the win. The net result of their actions and attitude was that Ware were able to get more of the play than anticipitated and keep the match at a 0-0 stalemate.