Report – Weston-super-Mare 5 – 1 Wealdstone
Weston-super-Mare
5 - 1
WealdstoneWealdstone were sent crashing into the bottom three following a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday evening at The Woodspring Stadium.
A brace apiece from Dayle Grubb and Jake Reid was followed by an injury time fifth goal from Jake Lee. Eddie Oshodi had equalised for the visitors just before half time.
New manager Bobby Wilkinson, who is still searching for his first victory as Stones boss, made two changes to the starting eleven. Stephane Ngamvoulou made his debut and Kaid Mohamed made a full debut with Danny Green moving to the bench and Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick set for a few weeks sidelined with injury. New signing and Ireland international Alan O’Brien was included on the bench .
It was evident from kick-off that Seagulls boss Marc McGregor was going to get a response from his side that lost 1-4 to Havant & Waterlooville at the weekend with Ciaron Brown clearing a Jake Mawford effort off the line just three minutes in.
Mawford almost gave the hosts the lead when hitting a powerful shot through a crowd of bodies but Jonathan North was rapidly alert to tip it wide.
Stones did create chances before the hosts lead with Matty Whichelow, Matt Day, Josh Hill and Ricky Wellard all having efforts go straight at Luke Parnell.
But it was the hosts who opened the scoring. Oshodi had a pass intercepted by Naby Diallo with the ball eventually falling to Grubb who unleashed an unstoppable effort past North from range. The keeper did get a glove to it but the forward had hit it with too much venom.
On 44 minutes Oshodi atoned for that error. Brown threw a one-two with Ngamvoulou and crossed for Oshodi at the far post who had the easiest of headers past Purnell to send the sides in level at the break.
The defender could have even put the Stones ahead at the start of the second half. Ngamvoulou swung in a deep cross which just evaded Dan Fitchett, but Oshodi was lurking at the far post, however he struck his effort wide of the mark.
But on 54 minutes the capitulation began. Grubb played a simple through ball into his strike partner Reid which cut open the Stones defence and the forward slotted the easiest of finished past North.
A triple change followed on the hour mark. O’Brien made his debut with Elliot Benyon and Ryan Sellers creating a more attack-minded eleven with Ngamvoulou, Hill and Jerome Okimo making way.
But Wilkinson admitted after it was the loss of Okimo that caused the midfield to lose their shape and make the side more vulnerable to counter attacks. And the third came just five minutes after the change. Lee strolled through the defence unchallenged from the left and squared a ball across goal to Reid who netted the easiest of finishes.
North made several more saves before Weston-super-Mare’s pressure eventually resulted in a fourth in the 86th minute. Similar to the second goal another through ball was put in, this time from Mawford to Grubb and he took it round North and passed into an empty net.
And the Seagulls had time to create another carbon copy of the previous goals. Sub Tristan Plummer played in Lee who dispatched a low effort past North in stoppage time.
A shocked and very angry Wealdstone Manager Bobby Wilkinson Spoke plainly after: ” I apologise to all the fans that travelled 3 hours to get to the game. We’ve come away from home to a team in the bottom three and got absolutely spanked 5-1. Now there better be a reaction on Saturday but a lot of it is out of my own hands.’
“I’m trying to bring in players to make us better but saying they’ve got to gel would you want me to throw them in three weeks down and lose another three games? People will say I didn’t throw them in quick enough.’
“I’ve been around the game long enough now to not pay attention to that. I want to say it how it is: we were terrible tonight but it’s only one game, let’s move on and we’ll work harder tomorrow, Thursday, Friday and get a win on Saturday!
“We’ve got two home games now. The home record is a shambles so we need to turn that around right now but everyone at the club has got to get back to reality. I’ve heard people say we should be a top 5 side, on paper we should but we’re not and I’m not going hold back on that any more, we got to get back to basics and start winning games of football.”
WEALDSTONE: North, Oshodi, Brown, Hill (Benyon 60), Day, Wellard, Whichelow, Okimo (Sellers 60), Fitchett, Ngamvoulou (O’Brien 60), Mohamed. Subs not used: Godfrey, Green.
By Chris Woods