Wealdstone 1- 0 Northwood
WealdstoneR2
1 - 0
NorthwoodA bizarre goal from Kieron Forbes was enough to see Wealdstone through to the third round of this season’s Middlesex Senior Cup on Monday night. With extra time looming the former Watford winger took an inswinging corner which deceived the visitors defence and snuck in at the far post.
Gordon Bartlett fielded a much changed side for this encounter with Zamaretto side Northwood, giving a number of squad players the chance to stake a claim for a starting berth for Saturday’s trip to Newport County. There was also a first start since returning to the club for Martin Carter who partnered Scott Fitzgerald upfront.
It was Carter who had the first chance of the match on eight minutes, when his looping header from Danny Spendlove’s corner flew just over the bar.
Northwood had their first chance of the match on 20 minutes, when Ben Gill brought down Romaine Walker on the edge of the box. Zac Gill stepped up to take the resultant free kick, however his effort flew over the cross bar.
Scott Fitzgerald was returning to the side after suspension, and he had a good chance to give Stones the lead on 22 minutes, showing some neat control before volleying the ball straight at Mitch Swain in the Northwood goal. Swain had to be alert again 2 minutes later, when Nikki Ahamed fired in a low drive from an acute angle which was palmed away for a corner.
Stones were now enjoying their best period of the half, and Spendlove was next to go close turning on the edge of the box before trying to beat Swain with an exquisite chip which just lacked enough height to beat the Northwood keeper. The best chance of the half came on 39 minutes. Louis Lavers played a forward ball to Ben Long, who got to the byline and pulled the ball back to Carter who inexplicably skewed the ball wide from 10 yards with the goal gaping.
With the temperature dropping and the pitch firming up, the second half begun tentatively, with neither side creating any clear cut chances until 58
minutes, when Warren Whitely burst into the Wealdstone box and fired in a low shot which was well blocked by Sam Leggett.
This seemed to spark Stones into life, and substitute Kieron Forbes had two chances to break the deadlock, first of all firing over from a Carter pass,
and then seeing his effort from a Ben Long cross expertly tipped over by Swain.
Northwood then had a chance of their own after breaking away from a Stones corner. A long ball forward saw Walker find himself in a good position;
however he lashed his shot wide when perhaps he should have tested Leggett.
Having missed the two earlier chances, Forbes did get the only goal of the game on 81 minutes when Northwood defender Tom Windsor headed over his own bar, and from the resultant corner, Forbes’ inswinging corner eluded everyone and flew directly in.
Fitzgerald nearly doubled the lead two minutes before the end, hitting a superb lofted effort from 30 yards which crashed off the top of the cross
bar. The remaining few minutes were fairly comfortable for the Stones defence, and they were able to see the game out to secure a second home win in three days. They will now face a home encounter with Staines in the third round, with the tie set to be played sometime in the New Year.
Attendance: 90
Wealdstone: Leggett, Hammond (Massey 67), Lavers, Gill, Cronin (c), Brookes, Ahamed, Long, Carter, Fitzgerald, Spendlove (Forbes 46).
Subs not used: Chappell, Dyer, Dean
By Stuart Warren