Match Report – Wealdstone 1 – 4 Eastbourne Boro
Wealdstone
1 - 4
Eastbourne BoroughOn paper this result appears to be another disastrous home defeat for an inconsistent Wealdstone side but the reality is that this game turned on a referee’s decision in the 63rd minute, when, in a moment of huge controversy, Stones talisman Elliot Benyon was summarily dismissed for a challenge on Sports keeper Charlie Horlock that looked for all the world a challenge any striker worth his salt had the right to make.
After the match Stones Manager was incredulous at the decision and said that he had ‘not seen a decision like it in all his year’s of management’ but a poor result will be made even worse if the expected appeal and video evidence is thrown out as Benyon will be handed a 3 match ban.
Ironically it was Wealdstone that looked by far the brighter and more progressive of the two sides as they attacked tirelessly throughout the first half with a changed starting line up. Matty Whichelow went close after only 4 minutes play and then Benyon had a strong penalty shout turned down.
Stones continued with some slick passing moves but their old problem of not putting the ball in the net at The Vale seemed to becoming alarmingly apparent again.
The Sports were playing some decent football, pressing the ball high up the pitch, but with little or no end goal threat. Jon North took an injury but continued as the home kept plugging away. Benyon was again unlucky when he was adjudged to have fouled a defender after turning the player with a clear sight of goal.
Finally, Stones made the break through via a corner from David Hunt caused havoc and Johnny Wright poked home through a pile of bodies on the goal line to take a narrow lead into the break.
Stones conceded a free kick early in the second half a dangerous position and Alex Smith’s effort was cruelly deflected past a wrong footed North. The glove man then came to the rescue brilliantly clawing away a goal bound strike as, suddenly; the away side perked up and started to look far more of a threat.
Whichelow almost regained the lead for Stones but his long range strike went wide of the mark.
Benyon was then controversially shown a straight red card for a seemingly innocuous challenge on Horlock – going for the ball after it had been spilled – and the complexion of the game changed with Stones now down to 10 and up against it.
A great strike from Mark Hughes with 15 minutes to go gave Sports the lead as Stones were now well and truly on the back foot with Alex Smith causing all sorts of problems for sub Josh Urquhart down the left flank,
Jamie Taylor then took full advantage of some gaping holes in Wealdstone’s defence and midfield, with their discipline and shape gone, to score twice as the game fizzled out with most people in the ground shaking their heads in disbelief.
Wealdstone : North, Oshodi, Brown, Parker (Urquhart 45), Goulding, Hunt, Wright (Kabba 81) Cox, Benyon, Whichelow (Green 81), Koroma. Subs not used: Wellard, Godfrey
Eastbourne Borough: Horlock, Hare, Smith, Hughes, Simpemba, (Baptista 85), Kinda-John, Stone, Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Pinney (McCallum 71), Romain (Taylor 71), Dutton
Subs not used: Worrall, O’Reilly
Listen to Manger Gordon Bartlett’s post match reaction HERE
Alan Palmer pictures HERE
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