Corby Town 2 – 4 Wealdstone
Corby Town2 - 4
WealdstoneA couple of changes to the starting line-up as Stones returned to league action today at Corby and Stones broke away from the kick off with the first attack of the match. At some pace however Corby replied and caught the Stones back line a little flat footed as a long ball forward saw Clarke give the home side the lead on 18 seconds!
Within a minute, Stones had equalised as Graeme Montgomery scored with a free kick awarded when Gooderick was fouled outside the box, then the game settled down a little, the home side dominating with a central three in midfield stifling Stones.
Corby took the lead again on 13 minutes when a long ball wide was superbly taken on the volley from 25 yards, Byrne the goal scorer, and again Stones immediately broke forward, this time Christians header not quite good enough to equalise.
Gordon Bartlett then made a tactical change, moving Lee Chappell into sweep and pushing Carbon forward to match the midfield trio of the home team and it immediately made an impact as in the remainder of the half Wealdstone were dominant, though unable to equalise from their five chances, while Armand had only one effort to deal with.
The second half started where the first had left off, as Stones penned the home side back and on 50 minutes a Montgomery cross was knocked back by Gavin Bamford to Matt Gooderick who equalised from 6 yards.
Montgomery and Carbon caused the home side all sorts of problems and at last Gooderick and Papali had some good service up front, creating numerous chances as Stones kept the pressure on.
On 65 minutes they took the lead. Carbon fed the ball to Papali on the right, he cut inside and delivered an excellent cross-field ball into the path of Montgomery who scored his second from 20 yards without breaking his stride.
Stones scored a fourth on 88 minutes when a Lawrence corner was headed back by Kevin Swift and Chris O’Leary headed home from the edge of the six yard box. At this point Gordon Bartlett proceeded to do a lap of the pitch as a result of Leo Morris geeing up O’Leary by telling him that’s what would happen if he ever scored….
The last few minutes saw Corby push on again as they tried to rescue something from the game, and three excellent saves in even time from Armand were enough to keep them at bay and earn stones a valuable three points.
Team Details: John Armand, Jay Carbon, Lee Chappell, John Christian, Kevin Swift, Stuart Bamford, Gavin Bamford, Matt Gooderick 50 s89 Wayne Cort, Chris O’Leary 88, Dean Papali s66 Dave Lawrence, Graeme Montgomery, 1,65 Subs Not Used: Fergus Moore, Billy Sentence, Stuart Goodhall
Harrow Times Steve Spaull
Corby Town 2 Wealdstone 4
A STRIKE at each end in the first two minutes of the game set this encounter alight.
Only 28 seconds had elapsed when Maddox’s pass split the Wealdstone defence open, right down the centre, and Clarke cracked a left foot shot past John Armand’s dive, low into the far corner. Then with Wealdstone awarded a free kick on the edge of the Corby box, Graeme Montgomery curled a left foot shot around the defensive wall to equalise.
The passing and running of Corby’s Byrne and Clarke, assisted by Towers in an advanced midfield role, were pulling the Wealdstone defence all over the place and it was no real surprise when Byrne hooked a shot past Armand from 20 yards to give Corby the lead again after 12 minutes.
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But, with a masterful tactical switch, Lee Chappell was moved from the left of defence to play sweeper and the threat was immediately neutralised. Graeme Montgomery was to fulfill all the left side duties now, something which the youngster carried out perfectly to lay a claim to another man-of-the-match award.
Former Stones goalkeeper Darren Watts, now playing for Corby, can count himself exceptionally fortunate not to have been sent off after bringing down Dean Papali when the forward was bearing down on goal.
Somehow, referee Cook thought the offence only worthy of a caution.
The game was turning in Wealdstone’s favour now, although Towers went close when stretching for a Byrne cross. Equally, Papali’s shot just cleared the bar at the other end.
Having all but stifled the Corby attacking threat, Stones were still a goal behind at half time but this was to last only for four minutes of the second period. Josias Carbon and Gavin Bamford had already gone close before Montgomery’s cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Bamford and Matt Gooderick, who has a broken toe, thumped the ball in.
Wealdstone, after an amazing about-turn, were in complete control now. Bamford shot high, Chris O’Leary fired wide and when Papali laid an inch-perfect pass into the path of Montgomery a low shot across Watts gave Stones a deserved lead.
For once, Wealdstone did not relax when in front and several more chances were squandered until the 88th minute when a right side corner was headed down by Kevin Swift for O’Leary to force the ball in.
Only in the final moments when two goals down did Corby finally threaten again. Clarke sliced wide and two excellent saves by Armand from White and Towers kept the score the same.