Match Report – Wealdstone 0 – 1 Welling United
Wealdstone
0 - 1
Welling United
This was undeniably a poor game on Saturday at The Vale with a disastrous outcome in the final minute of normal time for the home side that would have been expected to take all the points on offer, let alone suffer defeat at the hands of a struggling Welling United side.
Stones were without the suspended Sam Cox and the combative midfielder was undoubtedly missed.
With the clock showing 90 minutes, the Wings flighted in a last ditch cross from the left in an all too rare attack. Substitute Elliott Godfrey attempted to head the ball clear but tragically headed into his own net, past his helpless keeper Jonathan North. Godfrey was distraught but his team mates will know that they should have done so much better in the preceding 89 minutes in an untidy and sadly unconvincing performance creatively.
Welling surprisingly dominated the first half with Stones struggling to make any real headway with their two forwards of Elliot Benyon and Sahr Kabba being muscled off the ball and with precious little change aerially. Both chased admirably but it was the midfield that was failing to create clear cut opportunities in front of goal.
North came to the rescue on 24 minutes with a good block from a powerful Danny Waldren strike but when the home side broke clear through defender Ciaron Brown, his eventual cross frustratingly failed to find the lurking Benyon
Nevertheless Stones defended well enough and is not the area of concern, with young loanee debutant from Accrington Stanley, Liam Goulding, looking very assured and comfortable with everything that came at him.
North saved again, this time from Adam Coombes at the end of the first period.
Stones did improve after the turnaround but the contest became niggly and messy with an over fussy official booking 6 players. Stones best chance came on 80 minutes when Danny Green clipped the woodwork with a decently crafted free kick from just outside the area.
And despite Wealdstone having by far the majority of play they succumbed to a dreadfully disappointing self-inflicted sucker punch. Four minutes of added time just added to the air of desperation.
After the match Stones manager Gordon Bartlett said: ‘This was hugely frustrating and the players know that they have to be better than this. We are all in this together – win or lose – and we will continue to strive forward together’
Wealdstone: North, McLeod-Urquhart, Brown, Goulding, Oshodi, Hunt, Wellard (Godfrey 73), Green, Benyon, Whichelow (Koroma 67), Kabba (Wright 78) Subs not used: Thomas (GK), Parker
WFC Press Officer
Listen to Gordon Bartlet’s post match reaction HERE
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