Despair in The Fens

The Greens actually took the lead in the Fens but went in at the break 2-1 down before a total capitulation saw the Greens record their heaviest defeat under the management of Tom Ward, as they shipped three goals in the final 10 minutes – two of which came in stoppage time.

The Greens started rather well in the Fens. Charlie Congreve was in action early on, beating away Finlay Armond's powerful near-post drive in the 4th minute before doing something similar to prevent Ryan Lennon from the opposite angle just a couple of minutes later. Tom Siddons – squeezing in one last appearance before the forward man's three-match ban begins for a sending-off at Sherwood Colliery – was unlucky with a guided effort from distance that just cleared Congreve's crossbar before another strong hand from the Fenmen keeper denied Ryan Rushen from the angle just after the quarter of an hour mark.

The Greens did eventually find the breakthrough that their start merited when, on the half-hour mark, Ryan Lennon latched on to Sisa Tuntulwana's mistake to slot coolly past the onrushing Congreve to put the Greens ahead at the Fenland Stadium. That was as good as it got for the visitors. Wisbech was promptly level four minutes later when Tuntulwana crossed for Chris Assombalonga to tap home at close range. And it was Assombalonga who was involved again eight minutes later, winning the penalty – after being hauled down by Max Ward - that Sam Murphy comfortably dispatched beyond Liam Flitton to complete the Fenmen's first-half turnaround.

The Greens could have found themselves yet further behind in the second half's early moments when Assombalonga saw his effort well parried by Flitton before Toby Allen crashed the crossbar with a header from the subsequent corner. That moment was a wake-up call for the Greens. They were very nearly level on 53 minutes when Tom Ward's header was heroically hooked out of the goal-bound path of Ryan Rushen before Rushen again squandered a fine chance – somehow scooping over Ryan Lennon's cross from close range. On the hour, Biggs was the Greens' tormentor once again when he was in the way of a powerful drive from Ryan Lennon before Congreve was back in action – deflecting Tom Siddon's persistent effort around the post.

Just when the Greens looked set to find a leveller, it was Wisbech who stole a third goal to all but kill off the contest when Toby Allen was the beneficiary of a scuffed Tom Ward clearance and he calmly set himself to power beyond Flitton. Back at the other end, the Greens could count themselves mightily unlucky not to haul themselves back into the game when first Ryan Rushen saw his effort well-saved by Congreve before Tom Siddons follow up effort seemed to cross the line after rebounding off the underside of the bar but was not given by either the referee or the assistant.

That was the final straw. The Greens capitulation began in the 85th minute when Tuntulwana found space at the back post to tap home Robert Conyard's sweet cross to make it 4-1 and put the result beyond all doubt. Things were to continue to get worse for the Greens. In the first minute of stoppage time, a sweeping long ball found Toby Allen in space out wide. He cut inside before powering beyond Flitton to grab himself a brace. Then, Allen compounded the Greens' misery in the 94th minute when he capitalised upon a Sam Greenwood mistake to slot a sixth and his third beyond Flitton to leave the Greens totally humbled.

The Greens will hope to bounce back quickly and put that result behind them when they take a break from league action and welcome Belper United to the Longwater Stadium for a United Counties League Knockout Cup 1st Round tie. Kick-off is set for 3.00PM.

Words: Oliver Atkin
Image: Steve W Davies Photography