Hendon 5 – 4 Wealdstone (AET)
Hendon2R
5 - 4 (AET)
WealdstoneYou really could almost write your own report for this, whether or not you were at the match. A combination of the last four or so would surely see the same outcome. Stones were in the most part bright and creative in midfield and looked dangerous at the front, while at the back, the effort was matched by some naïve defending and poor decisions, all five of Hendon’s goals coming from mistakes, all be it only four by players…….
Stones started well and took the lead when Jolly’s through ball released Beckford – he rounded the keeper to mslot home after 14 minutes and gice Stones the lead, which lasted all of 90 seconds as Stones failed to defend an outswinging corner and Crace shot through a crowded box to equalise. On 20 minutes a late call from Jackson and a looping header at full stretch from Tucker combined to give Hendon the lead with an own goal, but Stones did then break out and create chances, though the home defence remained solid till half time.
Stones equalised on 50 minutes when Jolly’s through ball again sent Beckford away after some good work from White, and Jermaine scored his second of the night from close range. within two minutes Hendon were back in the lead after a mix-up gave them the ball out wide – a quick pass into the centre of the penalty box found Burgess with the goal at his mercy and he duly made the score 3-2.
Jolly was unlucky not to equalise on the hour when the home keeper saved well in a one on one, but 70 minutes saw Beckford return the favour to Richard Jolly, as he ran onto a good through ball, this time making no mistake with a low shot to equalise.
Stones looked the better side late on as Hendon tired, and so it continued into extra tme, until the 95th minute when the ball was cleared from a corner, eventually breaking to Burgess outside the box. He hit a shot wide of the goal which found Pickett, unmarked and stationary (and at best three yards offside) on the corner of the six yard box. He flicked his foot at the ball only to see it cannon off of the underside of the bar, looked at the Assistant Referee and realised the flag stayed down, and then with some surprise celebrated givig the home side the lead again. A minute later and with Stones still arguing about the previous goal, Bubb was able to weave his way through as Stones tried in vain to play the offside trap when under pressure, and two challenges failed even to slow the progress, his low shot giving Hendon a two goal cushion.
Stones pressured the home side but it wasn’t until two minutes from the end that they scored again when Turner cut inside from the left and hit a low shot across the keeper into the far corner, but it was by then too late for Stones to get anything other than frustration from the game.
Wealdstone: Glen Jackson, Lee Holland (s7 Luke Smith), Lee Chappell, Ross White, Robin Tucker, Carl Ashton (s58 Josh Cooper), Kenny Beaney, Graham Montgomery (s103 Phil Turner), Jermaine Beckford, Richard Jolly, Gary Burrell, Subs not used: Louis Lancaster
Harrow Times – Steve Paull
IT’S hard to describe a game watched by a handful of people on a cold evening in a bleak run-down stadium as a thriller but that is what this Middlesex Senior Cup second-round fixture was.
In the early exchanges Glenn Jackson saved smartly from O’Brien’s snap shot but Stones defender Lee Holland tweaked a hamstring and was replaced by Luke Smith.
Almost immediately Richard Jolly’s through ball found Jermaine Beckford and, after sidestepping keeper King, the finish was a formality.
But, as the Wealdstone front pair can be relied on to score goals, the defence can be equally relied on to let them in.
Within eight minutes of taking the lead Wealdstone were behind. Hendon equalised when a part cleared corner was booted through a forest of legs by Crace.
Two minutes later Stones fell behind when neither Robin Tucker nor Jackson dealt with a simple through ball. Being hassled only in hope by a Hendon forward, Tucker eventually played it, but headed past the now-too-close Jackson for a comedy own goal.
Jolly was soon one-on-one with King following Ross White’s through ball but having sidestepped King. the shot was blocked by the huge keeper.
The ding-dong contest continued after the break and Stones levelled six minutes in. Again it was Jolly and Beckford, again it was a lovely pass by the former for the latter to fire past King.
Again it was the Wealdstone defence who were unable top stay firm. Two minutes later, the whole back line were sucked over to the left and a ball across goal found Bubb who finished with ease.
Wealdstone came back when Jolly blazed high and wide. White was a lot closer but still off target.
On 70 minutes a precision one-two movement between Jolly and Beckford finished with the former slotting past King.
The game’s only quiet period heralded 30 minutes of extra time, where it came to life again.
Hendon got a controversial fourth when a shot from Burgess, which was going wide, was diverted in by Pickett in an offside position….