Wealdstone 0 -1 Dover Athletic
Wealdstone
0 - 1
Dover AthleticWhat do we say about this game? There are so many phrases to describe what went on, but they’ve all been used before and many, recently.
Stones were on top for long periods and were the better side. In 90 minutes they created 14 changes, but only forced three saves from Paul Hyde and gained a further three corners – the other efforts were off target. Dover created two chances and i believe had only two corners in the match – their fist chance brought a save, their second was scored from a penalty after Danny Tilbury pushed in the area. In the second half Dover created nothing.
Stones played some good football to create their openings – Brian Jones playing wide got behind the defence on a couple of occasions to cross well, only for a bobble on a poor dry pitch to aid Jolly’s shot in going over the bar and on the second occasion, Tilbury shot just wide.
When Martin Carter broke through on the left hand side, his shot from close in was pushed onto the post and away for a corner by Hyde, and in the second half Jolly saw two efforts well saved in the space of two minutes as Hyde ignored his age to react well. More worrying still were injuries late on to Beckford and Jolly – both concussed – which could see a strange forward line take the field for the last game of the season next week.
Despite all of that however the important thing to note is that this was a 1-0 defeat. With Harrow Borough winning and Cheshunt drawing, Stones need at least a point at Salisbury to ensure their survival in the Premier League. They can lose 2-0 and see Boro draw and Cheshunt win by an odd goal and still maintain their status, but it is entirely in their own hands.
A nervous week awaits us all…….
Harrow Times – Steve Paull
DEFEAT to already relegated Dover brought a miserable close to Wealdstone’s home fixtures for this season.
After two draws and five defeats in seven games, it remains to be seen whether they will retain their Premier Division status for next season.
What was straight forward a month ago now depends on a certain sequence of results to keep Wealdstone up.
It should not have been so. Dover did not have a shot at goal in open play and only mustered two in total.
The only one on target was the 23rd minute penalty scored by Cloke after Danny Tilbury seemed to have pushed Hamshare.
A curled free kick by Carruthers over the defensive wall had just cleared the bar minutes earlier.
Apart from those incidents it was only Wealdstone who looked likely to score.
Unfortunately the side is so completely lacking in confidence that any chances made were regularly squandered.
A hard and bumpy pitch contributed to this, particularly in Richard Jolly’s failure to find the target from eight yards with only keeper Hyde to beat.
This was not the only opportunity to go astray. Tom Champion’s effort hit a post, both Robin Tucker and Dave Ryan headed corners over, Danny Tilbury shot just wide and Jolly’s header was saved.
Despite having a lot of possession, Dover had no end product. Wealdstone’s isolated breakaways created chances but a lack of composure and the state of the pitch thwarted them.
Striker Jermaine Beckford came on for the second, scuffing another superb chance following the best passing move of the match.
Jolly aped his strike partner by putting another exceptionally good opening wide, then turned brilliantly to produce a more difficult snap shot. Hyde saved brilliantly at the foot of a post.
A more regulation save by Hyde from another Jolly effort was the final attempt at goal before, in the latter stages, Jolly was helped off the field after an accidental clash of heads with Humphrey. To add to Wealdstone’s woes, Beckford limped off at the final whistle too.
The nail-biting final fixture at Salisbury might have to be played with reserve strikers.
Wealdstone are still favourites to stay up, but the other sides in peril, Cheshunt and Harrow Borough, are picking up points consistently and a heavy defeat could signal the end.
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