Hemel Hempstead Town 2 – 1 Wealdstone

Hemel Hempstead Town

Ryman League Division 1 North

2 - 1

Wealdstone

KO: 0:00 | Sat 6th Dec ’03

There is little that can be said about this Stones performance as the team as a whole underperformed on the day, and yet periods in both halves they were the better side.

Stones started brighter and then Hemel came back at them, though it was Stones that had the best chance of the half when good work from Jolly saw a ball squared across the box but just a little to far in front of Morgan who could do no more than tap the ball towards the home goal – it was the only real chance of the half as both sides battled to get on top, Hemel shutting down Wealdstone’s every move.

The second half was following similar vein until, the 52nd minute when the ball ricocheted up in the air in the Stones box, and as Leary went to gather, Bent jumped in front of him, the ball hitting the strikers shoulder and bouncing into the net to give the home side a 1 – 0 lead.

This did at least spark a little more life into the Stones going forward, as did the introduction of Ben Alexander, and he was unlucky not to equalise after a good run, the goalkeeper saving with his legs. Jolly and Williams also had chances for Stones before on 72 minutes Billy Amarteifio suffered a rush of blood – with his man almost on the byline and heading nowhere, Billy clattered him from behind and conceded a penalty, scored by Hammatt.

Stones did step up the pace but struggled to create in the final third, Jolly scoring with a consolation in the 84th minute.