Great Wakering Rovers 2 – 1 Wealdstone
Great Wakering Rovers2 - 1
WealdstoneApparently, luck evens out over a season. By my calculation, we must be due a bit more in our favour as yet again a game we should have won was lost. Not to take anything from Great Wakering as they took the opportunities they were gives, while all Wealdstone could muster was one goal from about a dozen attempts.
Yet again Stones lost players before the kick off when Danny White was called away due to a family bereavement and Jason Shaw suffered a reaction to his recent hamstring injury and was also unable to take part, so a re-jigged side saw Martin Carter and Dave Ryan in the centre of defence with James Fisher returning at right back.
Stone started brightly enough and had an early chance when Tilbury had a shot blocked, before on 16 minutes, good work from Morgan created an opening and he shot home from ten yards to give Stones the lead.
All seemed to be going Wealdstone’s way with Swaysland and Morgan both seeing attempts saved, until on the half hour when the home side were awarded a corner. It hung in the air as it came across the goal with Andy Carter only able to follow it as it fell to the unmarked Wilson at the back post, and he headed home the equaliser from the first real chance to home side had created.
This seemed to knock Stones and for the rest of the half they created little, but they did hold firm at the back.
Stones started the second half much brighter and they were in control of the possession for long periods, again creating half chances – Swaysland, Tilbury, Jolly and Morgan all had attempts on goal but only Swaysland really troubled Hudson, but it seemed that Stones were the only likely scorers.
With one or two strange decisions for both sides from the referee there was little flow to the game, until what seemed to be a foul on Courtnage well into the Great Wakering half went unpunished. The ball was played forward and Richard Jolly covering back unfortunately gave the home side a penalty with a clumsy challenge, Ewers scoring from the spot on 70 minutes.
The game continued in a similar vein with half chances created for Wealdstone and little from the home side but they had done enough to hold on to the three points.
Wealdstone: Andy Carter, James Fisher (b29 s70 Lee Gardener), Rob Courtnage (s76 Carl Hunt), Mark Burgess, Dave Ryan, Martin Carter, Tommy Williams, Richard Jolly (b69), Mickie Swaysland (s76 Jermaine Beckford), Marvin Morgan (16), Danny Tilbury (b36) Subs not used: Tyronne Hercules, Andy Myhill
Great Wakering Rovers 2- 1 Wealdstone
Harrow Times
THE bad run of results continues for Wealdstone in yet another game that should not have been lost against weaker opposition, writes Steve Paull.
Stones got the good start they must have been hoping for after great determination and battling for the ball in the box by Marvin Morgan led to the striker giving Wealdstone the lead just after a quarter of an hour.
At this time despite being against the stiff breeze Stones were in control, but having scored they committed the cardinal sin and sat back a little, allowing Wakering more into the game.
The equaliser came ten minutes before half-time when a left wing corner was missed by Andy Carter at the far post and Wilson levelled with a textbook header.
A major brawl involving fifteen players soon followed, caused by the elbowing of Danny Tilbury by the Wakering skipper Scopes. The referee’s punishment after lengthy consultation with both assistants was to only book the home side captain- very lenient in the current climate.
This surely contributed to the game becoming a niggly affair from then on. Tilbury and Wakering’s Dennis were also booked as a result of the melee.
Further leniency from referee Bull was to Wealdstone’s detriment in the second half as they pressed forward with the wind at their backs. The official continually failed to clamp down firmly on the shady tactics of Scopes, who, despite his first half caution, was constantly wrestling with Tilbury whenever the Stones midfielder received possession.
Unfortunately a rare breakaway from the home side led to Richard Jolly bringing down Hampshire and Highway scoring from the spot on 70 minutes.
This drove Stones forward even more and, with all the possession they were enjoying, they should have at least levelled the scores in the time remaining.
Former Stones keeper Hudson saved well from Burgess plus Morgan and Carl Hunt were off target when presented with superb openings.
The most exasperating miss of all came five minutes from time when, after an amazing run from Jolly, Tommy Williams curled a glorious chance wide.
A few months ago Wealdstone would have won this game, but such is the side’s loss of form and confidence, at the moment it is hard to see where another win is coming from.
Wealdstone: A Carter, Fisher (Gardner), Courtnage (Hunt), Burgess, Ryan, M Carter, Williams, Jolly, Swaysland (Beckford), Morgan, Tilbury