Arlesey Town round-up The Blues went down on Easter Monday to a second-half goal rush at Ware. Arlesey held the promotion-chasing home side for 50 minutes before the deadlock was broken. Three more goals followed before the final whistle as the visitors s

Arlesey Town round-up

The Blues went down on Easter Monday to a second-half goal rush at Ware.

Arlesey held the promotion-chasing home side for 50 minutes before the deadlock was broken.

Three more goals followed before the final whistle as the visitors slipped to a 4-0 defeat.

A real team performance had seen Arlesey come from behind to put a dent in Maldon's play-off ambitions on Saturday in a 3-1 win.

The match, played in difficult conditions, was a credit to both sides.

With the strong wind in their faces, Arlesey started really strongly.

Shane Brown's beautiful curled shot went just wide of Gould's far upright and Jamie Osborne just failed to connect with Owen Beale's centre, all in the space of five minutes.

However, just three minutes later, Maldon went in front.

A long wind-assisted ball caused confusion in the penalty area and Maldon's hat-trick hero of the previous week, Jamie Ricks, slotted home.

Slight indecision in the home defence nearly cost Arlesey dear on 20 minutes.

Again Ricks was involved but fortunately for the hosts, his shot beat Arlesey keeper Lee Robinson but rebounded off the upright and was cleared to safety.

Shortly after, Osborne was replaced by Obi Nene due to injury and it was not long before Arlesey were back on level terms.

Martin Young was fouled by Lee Perry and Lee Tekell's free-kick to the far post was headed back across goal by Leon Gutzmore for the Blues captain Ryan Oliva to head home.

Having restored parity and carrying an injury from Tuesday evening's match, Oliva sustained another nasty knock and was subsequently replaced by Jimmy Dillnutt.

Just before the break, Arlesey were controversially denied the lead.

Nene, having rode three tackles, bent a superb shot past Gould into the far corner only for the referee to give Arlesey a free-kick when an advantage was obviously the right decision.

With Maldon's Blackwell and Parratt orchestrating their best moves, there was always the danger as they went forward.

But a well-marshalled Arlesey defence, led by man of the match Matt Waldron, held firm.

Two goals in two minutes sealed the Arlesey victory.

On 68 minutes, Tekell's long defensive clearance upfield saw Nene slip between two defenders and calmly chip the ball over the advancing Gould.

The goal of the game followed a minute later. Stuart Beevor's dream pass found Young wide on the right.

His first-class control took him past Blackwell and his cross was converted by the oncoming Gutzmore.

The visitors strove to salvage something from the game and sub Naveem Araian headed home only to be denied by the assistant's flag.

With 10 minutes remaining, Waldron was again the saviour with an unbelievable goal-line clearance that denied Kevin Hawes a certain goal.