Wealdstone 3 – 1 Leiston
Wealdstone
3 - 1
LeistonWealdstone cruised to their fourth league win on the bounce and looked very comfortable against a Leiston side that ended the game with ten men after Blues Stuart Boardley received his marching orders following a second yellow card offence.
Stones could easily have more than doubled their tally but a combination of wayward finishing and an excellent display by Blues keeper Danny Gay somehow kept the score down. As a result of this win Stones moved up to third in the table now only three points adrift but with games in hand over current leaders Kingstonian and AFC Hornchurch.
After a slow and even start to the game, Stones took the lead on 26 minutes from a corner when Scott McGleish seized on a loose ball in the midst of a goal mouth scramble. The away side hit back immediately and a strike smacked off the cross bar with Jonathan North looking on helplessly.
But Stones were now in the ascendancy with their slick passing game in full flow and doubled the score just before the break with McGleish again on the end of a superb five man move with Tom Pett and Jonny Wright linking brilliantly at the heart of it.
The home side made it 3-0, killing the game, just minutes into the second period when a defensive mix-up allowed Pett to arrow home an accurate strike past the exposed Gay. Stones were now totally rampant and it seemed only a matter of time before more goals would rain in. But McGleish, despite some great positioning, somehow missed chance after chance – one effort from a superlative chip from the majestic Glen Little simply begged for a finish.
Ironically, and to their credit, the away side upped their game after Boardley was dismissed for a foul on the elusive but increasingly bruised Pett and they even grabbed a goal back with a good long range strike from Craig Parker after Stones defence had stood off in a rare moment of complacency. But Stones soon roared back and Gay saved magnificently low down at the near post from Pett near the end after tipping over a couple of earlier efforts.
After the match Stones Manager Gordon Bartlett said: ‘We looked in control throughout today but I was disappointed that we failed to keep a clean sheet with some sloppy play. Nevertheless we are delighted with the win that keeps the pressure on at the top of the table’
Stones entertain Harrow Borough in a Ryman League Cup match on Tuesday at The Vale and then travel to in form Dulwich Hamlet next Saturday in a crunch league encounter.
Wealdstone: North, Hammond, Okimo, Hamblin, Cronin, Godfrey, Little, Bentley, McGleish, Wright, Pett. Subs used: Pigden, Bailey, Siva. N/u: Moore, Dean
By Nick DuGard
Steve Foster Match Pics HERE
Video highlights HERE