Report – Whitehawk 0 – 1 Wealdstone
Whitehawk
0 - 1
Wealdstone
Wealdstone ended the 2017/18 season with a win after beating Whitehawk 1-0 down in Brighton thanks to Ricky Wellard’s header.
The Stones ended their league season in eleventh place and ten points off the play-offs after Stones boss Bobby Wilkinson’s first season in charge.
And Wilkinson made six changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Oxford City on Thursday night with Jonathan North, Jake Sheppard, Eddie Oshodi, Jeffrey Monakana, Danny Green and Wellard all returning.
Both sides shared a quiet first half although Hawks keeper Daniel Wilks did have to pull off two top saves to keep the relegated hosts level at the break.
Firstly, he denied Reading loanee Sheppard after he hit a thunderous volley from the edge of the box that was travelling to the top corner before the keeper got there to tip it over.
He then denied Bradley Bubb after Green and Monakana offered some intricate build-up play that resulted in the latter delivering a low cross for Bubb, but the keeper got down quick enough to deny the striker’s effort.
Wealdstone were a far stronger outfit in the second half and Whitehawk’s Zac Fagan and Kodi Lyons-Foster had to put their bodies on the line to deny Bubb and his strike partner David Pratt.
Goal scorer Wellard offered a potent attacking threat from midfield and had a header cleared off the line by Ky Marsh-Brown and also hit the crossbar after Pratt’s initial effort was parried by Wilks.
He finally scored on 71 minutes after Monakana’s cross found Wellard unmarked on the edge of the six yard area to guide the easiest of headers past Wilks in goal.
Whitehawk offered a rare response just two minutes later when Marsh-Brown’s cross found Sam Chaney free at the far post but he headed wide of North’s goal.
The Stones could’ve wrapped it up at the end after a corner found Ian Gayle unmarked and with the goal at his mercy, but he smashed his effort off of the crossbar from close range as the Stones held out for a comfortable victory.
WEALDSTONE: North, Sheppard, Okimo, Oshodi, Gayle, Wellard (Whichelow 86), Monakana (Kearney 90), Cox, Pratt, Green, Bubb (Fitchett 78). Subs not used: Sellers, Kouassi.
By Chris Woods
Watch Bobby Wilkinson’s post match interview HERE
Steve Foster pictures HERE