Potters Bar Town 2 – 1 Wealdstone
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WealdstoneAfter a strong performance last week despite the defeat Stones fans expected to win away to lower division Potters Bar Town in the FA Cup despite the omens of Andy Leese (former Manager) and six former players in the home side line-up – both of which should have formed part of the team talk.
Oh! how expectations let us down.
As Stones stumbled through the first half, slightly the better side, but it was hard to judge as a melee of misplaced passes and hoof’s upfield gave neither forward line much service and neither defence any real problem, from memory both sides had half hit shots to deal with and Stones came closest to scoring from a run of four consecutive corners, but please don’t be deceived this was thrill a minute – but only for one minute of the 45.
Unfortunately, the second half started with little better fare on offer, stones content to defend on the edge of their box but with little constructive play or passing to move the ball forward, the home defence happy to collect the overhit long balls, as they too struggled to build an attack.
Just before the hour, Stones lost ‘keeper Lee Carroll to a recurrence of an injury, John Armand replacing him in goal, but unfortunately for John his first involvement a couple of minutes later was to recover an unmarked Howard’s header from the back of the net as Stones defence were static as the ball was crossed in from the right.
This galvanized the home side, and the travelling support at least expected it to do the same to Wealdstone, but it wasn’t until some ten minutes later when a double substitution saw Christian and Papali brought into play that Stones actually recorded their first shot with any venom on target, as Lawrence’s effort was well saved, however this again was not enough to wake the travelling side from their slumbers.
Ten minutes after his first Howard was again left unmarked and allowed to score his second goal of the afternoon as Potters Bar at least put in the effort to take control of the game and their defence was well marshalled by former Stone Ryan Harris, in all proving more than competent to stifle what efforts Wealdstone did construct primarily through Papali’s forwards runs though the service to all three forwards was poor at best.
One run from Papali saw Stones awarded a corner on 83 minutes, yet it was taken before most of the Wealdstone players had got forward in position to attack the ball, and it was by chance that the clearance fell to Gavin Bamford some thirty yards from goal. He looked up and curled an excellent effort towards goal only to see the ball strike the crossbar and bounce down to Papali who finished with some aplomb from 6 yards to give Stones some hope.
That really was all that it was however as the side failed to construct anything else worthy of note or even enough to wake them from their slumbers as they pussy-footed out of the FA Cup for another year.
If this team had played to it’s apparent abilities, there is no doubt that they could have won the game with some comfort – based only on the home sides performance today – next week and for a good few weeks thereafter they will have to prove it, yet nothing they can do now will change the result.
Team Details: Lee Carroll s55 John Armand, Stuart Goodhall, Fergus Moore, Chris Zoricich, Stuart Bamford, Gavin Bamford, Carl Martin s72 John Christian, Chris O’Leary, Dave Lawrence, Matt Gooderick, Graeme Montgomery s72 Dean Papali 83. Subs Not Used: Lee Holland, Billy Sentence
Harrow Times Steve Spaull
WHAT is it with Wealdstone and the FA cup? Or any major cup competition come to that? Year after year, with whatever manager and whatever players, it is almost a banker that in the cups they will exit to a “lesser” side after playing poorly.
This game hit all the usual Wealdstone FA cup buttons as the side stuttered to a deserved defeat. It was, by a very long way, the worst Stones performance this season.
Maybe it is just that the expectations are higher for cup ties, but to watch long periods of this game was not dissimilar to watching a pre-season friendly but also with both sides unable or reluctant to drive forward and put any passion into their play.
When the draw was made and Stones were paired with Potters Bar Stones found themselves with yet another cup potential banana skin. Fielding six players from last season’s Wealdstone side plus co-manager Andy Leese, this was always to be a very tricky fixture – but it needn’t have been for the Bar side seemed relaxed about the occasion.
Unfortunately, so did Stones.
The first half passed almost chanceless in the late summer sun. Dave Lawrence had to clear off his line following a corner and the same player was closest to scoring for Wealdstone when firing just wide when another corner was cleared to him on the edge of the box.
Lee Carroll’s return in goal was obviously a borderline selection as reserve keeper John Armand was named as a substitute. Lee lasted almost an hour before having to be replaced. Within five minutes Wealdstone were behind.
If Potters Bar were just waiting for a mistake and a clear cut opening, they got it. With the defence sucked over to the left hand side, a ball inside found Howard on his own with the time and space to compose himself and beat Armand.
With the more senior side a goal down one might have expected a siege on the Potters Bar goal but it never came. John Christian’s powerful strike straight at the keeper was the closest Wealdstone came to levelling before the home side’s second goal on 72 minutes when hesitation between Stuart Bamford and Armand led to Howard nipping in between them to score his second.
Finally there was now a little more urgency in the Wealdstone play and they did pull a goal back with eight minutes to go. Gavin Bamford’s curling effort from 20 yards smacked against the bar and Dean Papali reacted first to score.
With Wealdstone players pressing forward in the last moments it was one of their former players, Luke Smith, who came closet to scoring, but he saved further Wealdstone embarrassment by putting the chance wide.
Carroll (Armand 57), Zoricich, Moore, Goodall, S Bamford, G Bamford, Martin (Christian 69), O’Leary, Lawrence, Gooderick, Montgomery (Papali 69).