Wealdstone 2 – 1 Margate
Wealdstone
2QRR2 - 1
MargateA late goal from Alex Dyer saw Wealdstone advance to the next round of the FA Trophy as they overcame fellow Ryman league side Margate on Tuesday night. Following on from Saturday’s 1-1 draw with, it looked like this replay was also going to go the same way until Dyer’s well worked 78 minute strike handed Stones victory setting up an away tie with Banbury in the next round.
The opening ten minutes of this encounter were a scrappy affair as both sides tried to get used to the difficult slippery conditions, with Richard Avery heading over from a corner for the visitors before Scott Fitzgerald flashed a volley well over the bar from distance.
Margate then began to press Wealdstone back as the half wore on forcing a succession of corners, however luckily for Stones they were unable to capitalise.
The slippery conditions then nearly worked to Wealdstone’s advantage on 20 minutes when Sean Cronin’s free kick into the box was met by Wes Parker’s header. Parker’s effort contained very little power, however the ball slipped out of Gate ‘keeper Simon Overland’s hands but luckily for him the ball was cleared.
Overland was beaten four minutes later however. Kurtney Brooks picked up the ball on the right hand side and sent a great pass over to the left to Lee Chappell. From there, Chappell drilled the ball across the box to the onrushing Jolly who made no mistake slotting home from close range.
The goal appeared to give Stones a massive confidence boost and Jolly nearly turned provider 3 minutes later, beating the offside trap and advancing down the right flank before squaring the ball to Fitzgerald whose effort was well blocked by Overland.
After a quiet opening, Jolly was starting to get some joy against the Margate backline and he came close to grabbing a second on 38 minutes, driving into the box before unleashing a left footed effort which flew just wide of the post.
Stones were now restricting the visitors to efforts from distance, with Mark Corneille having the best of these two minutes before the break; curling an effort just wide of the post from 20 yards.
There was an enforced change at half time for Wealdstone, with striker Scott Fitzgerald being withdrawn with a hamstring injury, and Peter Dean coming on in his place.
Margate came out for the second half the quicker of the two sides, and managed to equalise on the 50 minute mark. Corneille hit a great effort from 20 yards which crashed off the post, and in the scramble that ensued for the loose ball Cronin was adjudged to have tripped Kwesi Appiah and a penalty was awarded. Appiah stepped up to take the kick himself, sending
North the wrong way with a well struck effort to bring the sides level.
Stones could have then found themselves ahead five minutes later when David Hicks’s free kick to the far post was headed goalwards by Cronin; however a Gate defender was able to clear the ball off the line.
After a period of heavy pressure on the Margate goal, Lee Chappell will perhaps feel he should have done better when he found himself unmarked at the far post following a cross from Alex Dyer; however his powerfully struck effort flew well over the bar.
The visitors then found themselves down to ten men on 67 minutes when a superb forward header from James Hammond saw Jolly through on goal. The covering defender Dean Pooley was then adjudged to have tripped Jolly as he tried to get back to cover, giving referee Michael Webb no option but to show him a straight red.
With the visitors down to ten men Wealdstone were able to regain the lead on 78 minutes. Chappell once again found space on the left hand side and sent a great low cross to the far post where Alex Dyer was able to slide in and bundle the ball home from close range.
Alex Dyer’s perseverance then nearly earned Wealdstone a third two minutes from time when he charged down a clearance in midfield which deflected the ball forward. Overland came rushing out of his goal and managed to beat Dyer to the loose ball, however his kick landed at the feet of Peter Dean who tried his luck with an audacious 40 yard lob which dipped just over
the bar with the Gate ‘keeper in no man’s land.
Stones were then able to see out the last few minutes of the game quite comfortably, and can now look forward to a trip to league leaders Billericay Town on Saturday, before facing Banbury United in the next round the following weekend.
Wealdstone: North, Hammond (McCubbin 81) Massey, Parker (c), Cronin, Dyer, Brooks, Hicks (Ahamed 71), Fitzgerald (Dean 46), Jolly, Chappell. Subs not used: O’Leary, Spendlove
By Stuart Warren
Steve Foster Match Pics HERE