Clevedon Town 2 – 2 Wealdstone
Clevedon Town2 - 2
WealdstoneAfter a two week break, you have to expect things to have changed at Wealdstone and after 80 minutes of today’s match at Clevedon a 2-0 score line in Stones favour, with a further three goals disallowed, you may think they had, but there was a sting in the tail….
A change to the line-up saw Stanic Rosboud stand down for Matt Gooderick, Stanic taking his place on an already depleted bench, and it was Gooderick that scored the opener after 19 minutes. O’Leary had the ball in the net soon after only for the referee to whistle and award Stones a free kick and Dan Papali was also ruled just offside when he too thought he had scored.
Just before half time, with a strong wind at their backs, Stones increased their lead as Graham Montgomery scored their second.
Another disallowed goal later – Gooderick ruled offside by the assistant – and with ten minutes remaining, Clevedon pulled one goal back and an injury to Matt Gooderick then saw him replaced by Rosboud. Five minutes later however Clevedon scored a second to finish the game on level terms despite Stones being the better side for almost the whole match.
Wealdstone:: John Armand, Jay Carbon, Fergus Moore, John Christian, Kevin Swift, Stuart Bamford, Matt Gooderick 64 s82 Stanic Rosboud, Chris O’Leary, Dave Lawrence, Dean Papali, Graeme Montgomery, 64 Subs Not Used: Lee Chappell, Billy Sentence, Stuart Goodhall
Harrow Times Steve Spaull
Clevedon Town 2Wealdstone 2
THREE points for a well-deserved victory were there for the taking for Wealdstone on Saturday, but two late lapses meant they had to settle for a draw.
This was by far the best Stones performance of this stuttering season, with Stuart Bamford and Dave Lawrence having their best games in the Wealdstone shirt. As well as the two goals scored, three more were ruled out and twice the home side hacked the ball away from their own goal line.
After a quiet beginning, Wealdstone took the lead 18 minutes in. A ball out of defence found Matt Gooderick who quickly sized up his options and chipped an exquisite goal over keeper Greaves from fully 35 yards.
Greaves was suddenly the busier keeper. A Dean Papali “goal” was ruled out for offside in what must have been a very close decision. Another from Chris O’Leary was also scrubbed out, this time for an earlier foul.
Clevedon were playing in a style rarely seen these days – that is with two wingers, both of less than average height. Gradually the pair began to have more influence on the game, taking on and beating their man and putting in dangerous crosses.
John Armand, who had early on hurt himself saving at the feet of Rawlins, brought off an excellent double save but could only watch as the follow up effort from Hapgood clipped the top of the bar.
But this revival was halted when Wealdstone scored again, Graeme Montgomery put in a low shot from 25 yards that deflected enough off Hendy to wrong foot the keeper and deflect into the opposite corner.
It was no more than Wealdstone deserved and in the six minutes that the referee added for stoppage time, Greaves acrobatically tipped over a Papali shot.
Wealdstone had played with the wind at their backs in the first half and must have expected to be under serious pressure in the second but this turned out not to be.
Whatever the Clevedon players had been told at half time they adopted an aggressive nature from the start of the second half, resulting in three bookings in a seven-minute period.
The officials can be forgiven for missing the first off-the-ball assault on Gooderick, but to see the second one, only a matter of ten seconds later, as only worthy of a yellow card is quite remarkable.
In truth things did quickly calm down and Wealdstone could easily have added to their score with more confidence in front of goal. Papali broke the offside trap but was undecided whether to square the ball to Lawrence or shoot himself. When he decided on the former the space was closed down and Lawrence’s shot was cleared off the line.
Another neatly taken “goal” from Lawrence was rightly ruled out for offside and a Papali low cross from the by-line was hoofed to safety from under the bar.
The game was not one-sided but, for all their possession, the home side were getting nowhere until the final eight minutes. When Pitcher picked up the ball a long way from goal there was no danger, but the player was allowed to meander closer and closer across the Wealdstone box with nobody closing him down.
When the danger was realised, it was too late and the incoming shot skimmed across Armand, as he dived, and nestled in the far corner.
Gooderick had broken a toe earlier in the game but wanted to carry on. Stanislav Rozboud finally replaced him in an attempt to shore up the victory, but to no avail.
Fergus Moore, although being given a dreadful pass, still had two chances to clear, but when possession was lost a quick ball into Page in the clear saw the substitute slide the ball home to give the home side an unlikely and undeserved draw.
Wealdstone: Armand, Carbon, Moore, Swift, S Bamford, Christian, Gooderick (Rozboud 82), O’Leary, Lawrence, Papali, Montgomery.