Wealdstone 2 – 2 Forest Green Rovers
Wealdstone2 - 2
Forest Green RoversWealdstone continued their strong pre- season campaign on Friday night with a 2-2 draw against Blue Square Bet Premier side Forest Green Rovers.
It was the visitors who got off to the quicker start, with Ben Wright seeing his lobbed shot from 20 yards bounce off the top of the cross bar with just five minutes on the clock.
Former Wealdstone midfielder Kieron Forbes then created an opening for Rovers on the quarter hour mark as he embarked on a jinking run before picking out Wright in the box, with the striker seeing his poorly hit shot gathered comfortably by Rikki Banks in the Wealdstone goal.
But it was Stones who took the lead on 35 minutes, when a quick counter attack resulted in Alex Dyer laying the ball off for Richard Jolly who slotted left footed past Rovers ‘keeper Matt Bulman. Things got even better for the home side right on the brink of time as they doubled their lead when the impressive Dyer finished off a surging run with an incisive finish to put his side two up with virtually the last kick of the half.
It took Rovers until the 68th minute to pull a goal back. Alan Massey hauled down Reece Styche 25 yards from goal, with Wright stepping up to spectacularly curl home the resultant free kick. Stones now found themselves on the back foot, and Omar Koroma was unlucky not to equalise on 70 minutes when his effort from close range rebounded off the inside of the post before being collected by Banks. Rovers did eventually get the equaliser on 88 minutes. Lee Chappell was outmuscled by Styche who scampered down the right before drilling the ball across the face of goal where it was turned into his own net by Alan Massey as the big defender tried desperately to clear the ball.
But this was another good work out and performance from Wealdstone who more than matched their professional counterparts, in what had been a competitive and physical encounter.
Wealdstone: Banks, Brewer (Webb 63), Chappell, Massey, Cronin, Dyer, Brooks, O’Leary (Nicholas 74), Dean, Jolly (Fitzgerald 71), McCubbin. Subs not used: Haxia, Clarke
Man of the match: Sean Cronin
By Stuart Warren
Steve Foster Match Pics HERE