Staines Town 2 – 0 Wealdstone
Staines Town1R
2 - 0
WealdstoneGordon Bartlett took the opportunity to change a few personnel and the formation for Tuesday’s tie at Staines, but he couldn’t change the result as Stones lost 2-0 to goals in the 83rd and 90th minutes.
Stones started brightly and in the first five minutes had forced a good save from the home keeper – touching O’Leary’s shot from 30 yards over the bar and then watching as Fergus Moore’s header cannoned back of fthe bar from the corner. The remainder of the half saw a number of chances created at both ends, Papali unlucky when the keeper stuck out a foot to deflect his shot when one on one, while Stones saw the woodwork rattled twice among a number of shots from the home forwards who seemed at times to have a separate competition to see who could shoot highest over the bar!
The second half saw Stones pen the home side back, but unable to make the breakthrough. Staines made a double substitution on 65 minutes which changed the game as Scarlett and Chaaban entered the fray. Their skill and pace told as they forced the home side forward, Scarlett breaking through to score with a low drive on 83 minutes and Nwokeji scoring the second in a crowded area on 90.
Team Details: Lee Carroll, Stuart Goodall, Fergus Moore, Kevin Swift, Stuart Bamford, Gavin Bamford, John Christian s70 Sam Sharples, Chris O’Leary, Matt Gooderick, Dean Papali85, Graeme Montgomery, Subs Not Used: Josias Carbon, Lee Chappell
Harrow Times Simon Grigor
WEALDSTONE got no reward for a hardworking performance when dumped out of the Middlesex Senior Cup by two late goals on Tuesday.
Rarely for Stones, they “hit the ground running” and could have scored twice in the opening three minutes. Chris O’Leary’s long-range strike was tipped over and from the subsequent corner Fergus Moore’s header hit the bar and bounced down – the referee waving away claims that it had crossed the line.
Stuart Goodall immediately impressed with his wing play on the right but Newton for the home side also began to make a distinct impression on proceedings.
Lee Carroll tipped over one long range strike and another, which followed a mazy 50 yard run, thundered against the bar. In between Wealdstone should have scored but keeper Courtnage was quickly off his line to save from Dean Papali with his feet.
The second half was a very one-sided affair. Wealdstone, playing with the wind at their backs completely dominated proceedings. Staines were fortunate to reach the final third of the pitch and never created a scoring chance. In a complete contrast to his first half performance, Newton was invisible.
Unfortunately, despite being territorially superior, Wealdstone failed to find the killer pass or shot to open the scoring and extra time loomed.
But football is often a cruel game and with nine minutes to go, moments after referee Thompson had failed to give a free kick for an obvious back pass, play went to the other end for the first time and a former Stones player Andre Scarlett fired a low shot across Carroll and into the far corner.
Wealdstone were understandably deflated and Carroll saved well from Nwokeji before the same player scored the second with an opportunistic shot after the ball had been bouncing off players like a pinball.
It was a sad end to a creditable performance but Wealdstone need more quality in the search to open up the defence of their opponents.
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