Wealdstone vs Canvey Island – Sat 26th Apr @ The Vale – Match Preview

Wealdstone will be hoping to bow out in style when they wrap up their championship-winning season on Saturday, as they welcome Essex outfit Canvey Island to The Vale.
An away outing at Maidstone United last August seems an age ago now to Stones fans, but what has followed in the nine months since that stalemate has been nothing short of magical.

Gordon Bartlett’s side sealed the Ryman Premier Division title with three games to spare, and sit eight points clear at the summit of the table, having won the most games, lost the least, and outscored every team in the division. However, after a run of one defeat in nineteen games, Wealdstone might be accused of having taken their foot of the gas in recent weeks, losing both of their games since having their long-awaited destiny confirmed, shipping eight goals in the process.

To put that into some kind of context, it took the league champions fifteen matches to concede their previous eight goals. They may, though, be encouraged by the fact that this weekend’s clash comes against a side that similarly aren’t playing for anything in the season’s final week.

While four teams do battle for two unconfirmed play-off places, and another four fight for their lives against relegation on Saturday, Canvey Island sit comfortably in twelfth position. The security of their Ryman Premier status for next season may have been a hindrance to The Gulls’ form over the past month too, with a run of six wins in seven games being followed up with one win in the subsequent eight, spurning any play-off ambitions.

Their last outing will have provided manager Danny Heale with some encouragement though, as he watched his side earn a creditable home draw against sixth-placed AFC Hornchurch on Monday in a stormy encounter.

Tom Pett and Jonathan Wright netted for The Stones as they surrendered a 2-1 lead when the sides last met back in January, with Canvey Island running out eventual 3-2 winners at Park Lane.

Much less is at stake this time around though, and with neither side playing for anything other than pride, a vibrant Vale will be hoping it results in a entertaining finale, as the curtain closes on a historic season of football for Wealdstone Football Club.

The Ryman Championship Trophy and medals will be presented on the pitch after the match. All fans are invited to the awards event in the clubhouse starting at 7pm.

By Matt Desai

Again many thanks to our Match-day sponsor,  The Slendor Loris Football Consortium & Match Ball donation by Richard Parker, Tony Drew & Mark Snell;  your continued support to the club is much appreciated.

Admission is £10 Adults, £5 Concession & £2 Under 16’s – don’t forget if you hold a Season Ticket for another club (except our match-day opponents) then its just £5 entry to The Vale on production of said ST at the Turnstile.