Report: Wealdstone 3 – 0 Cardiff City U23
Wealdstone3 - 0
Cardiff CityGoals from Wadah Ahmidi, Reece Harris and Bradley Bubb saw Wealdstone close off pre-season with a well deserved win after they overcame a Cardiff City U23 side at Grosvenor Vale.
Premier League new boys Cardiff sent a competitive side that included Omar Bogle and Stuart O’Keefe as well as defender Ciaron Brown who signed for the Bluebirds in January from Wealdstone.
Stones boss Bobby Wilkinson had a near full-strength side to choose from with only Jonathan North, Luke Williams and Stefan Brown missing out, trialists Harris and Guri Demuria were also included on the bench.
Cardiff were quick out the blocks and pulled a good save from Callum Thomas on his first Grosvenor Vale start when he tipped Jacob Evans’ effort over the bar after two minutes.
Bradley Bubb then pulled a good stop from Matt Hall when he headed Rhys Tyler’s cross back across the face of goal with the keeper recovering to claw it back and hold.
The Stones took the lead on 28 minutes and it was a fine strike from Ahmidi, who swerved a superb 25-yard effort away from the keeper and into the bottom corner.
Nine changes were made by the hosts at half time and two combined for Wealdstone’s next effort. Glenn Wilson headed Danny Green’s corner goalward only to see it cleared off the line by Evans.
The Stones doubled their lead on 62 minutes when David Pratt shrugged off his man to latch onto a long ball before squaring it back across the box to the trialist Harris who expertly dispatched a low finish past Hall.
Cardiff offered little goal threat in the second half but had a good chance to halve the deficit when Evans’ well-struck free kick came off the crossbar on 82 minutes.
A minute later the Stones went three ahead after Harris picked out Bubb with an excellent lobbed through pass and the striker struck hard and low past sub keeper Warren Burwood to seal the game and complete Wealdstone’s pre-season with a win.
We commence our Vanarama National League South season on Saturday when we host Weston-super-Mare at The Vale, kick-off 15:00. Entry is £13 Adults, £9 Concession(s), £3 U18s and U14s FREE with a paying adult. Season Tickets can still be purchased HERE
WEALDSTONE: Thomas, Tyler (Sheppard 45), Grant (Demuria 45), Stevens (Wilson 45), Okimo (Mambo 45), Poku (Harris 45), Monakana (Lench 45), Ahmidi (Clark 45), White (Pratt 45), Bubb, Hudson-Odoi (Green 45).
By Chris Woods
Geoff Smith pics HERE