Report – Wealdstone 2 -1 Weston-super-Mare
Wealdstone
2 - 1
Weston-super-MareGoals from Iffy Allen and Abobaker Eisa were enough for Wealdstone to see off Saturday’s opponents Weston-super-Mare in a 2-1 victory at Grosvenor Vale, leap-frogging the Seagulls into eleventh place in the NLS table.
It took Bromley loanee Allen just eight minutes into his league debut to open his Stones account and Eisa scored a spectacular winner just 12 minutes into the second half. Ian Gayle was given a second yellow card on 80 minutes with Gethyn Hill scoring for the Seagulls five minutes later to set up an unlikely tense finale .
Stones boss Bobby Wilkinson made just one change to the side that beat Bognor Regis Town 3-0 last week, and it was enforced, Allen came in for the suspended Ricky Wellard making his second Stones appearance but his first in the league.
Despite Wealdstone’s dominance for 80 minutes it was the hosts who had the first scare of the game when Jake Lee’s long, looping header came off the top of the crossbar just four minutes in.
Stones lead came soon after, Allen latched onto David Pratt’s knock down and hit a deft touch past Luke Purnell and in off the post.
The woodwork was struck twice more by the Stones into the half. Eisa hit a 20-yard free kick off the outside of the post and Allen almost doubled his tally only to be denied by the same post.
It was more of the same in the second half and on 57 minutes the Stones went 2-0 up in spectacular fashion.
Eisa collected the ball in his own half, skipping past two defenders (Hunter and Lee) on the half-way line with a delightful one touch movement, he then nutmegged Jacob Cane and was then given a clear sight of goal as he cut inside and smashed a bullet effort which left Purnell in the visitors goal clutching at air.
The Stones then looked to be comfortably seeing the game out until 80 minutes when Gayle was given a second yellow card.
This gave Weston more attacking impetus and they responded five minutes later when Hill nodded in from a corner to set up a nervy final few minutes.
But the Stones saw those out with some tenacious defending and with Jonathan North largely untested. Wealdstone now look forward to hosting Warrington Town in the last 16 of the FA Trophy next Saturday
WEALDSTONE: North, Johnson-Schuster, Okimo, Gayle, Oshodi, Cox, Allen (Wilson 81), Whichelow (Tiryaki 88), Pratt, Green, Eisa.Subs not used: Fitchett, Olomowewe, Goodger.
By Chris Wood