Wealdstone 1 – 0 Aveley
Wealdstone1 - 0
AveleyThis was not a particularly pretty match nor a great Wealdstone performance as the effect of four games in seven days took their toll, but it was an effective performance at least.
Stones soaked up early pressure the got on top of the game, creating early chances for Jolly and Williams before on 22 minutes, Freeman blocked an Aveley defenders clearance, the ball falling to Jolly. His flick over the defence was anticipated and met by Morgan who looped a header over the visiting keeper from ten yards to give Stones the lead.
Aveley struggled to get forward with any effect – the long balls played forward not causing the Stones defence any problems, while their defending in number stifled most of what Stones could do at the other end and the score remained 1 – 0 at half time.
The second half followed a similar pattern, Tilbury, Williams, Morgan and Jolly all forcing saves from the visiting keeper and in the last ten minutes, Ben Alexander twice being thwarted while at the other end Carter remained untroubled.
As the match wore on, Aveley seemed to get a little more frustrated but Stones were competent if not exciting securing the win.
WEALDSTONE ground out a third successive league win, and fifth in all games, with this ugly, scrappy game of few chances and little goalmouth incident – so very different from Thursday’s Northwood cup-tie victory.
Still, this will not worry the Stones’ faithful as they cling on to the hope that a top six position and the “promotion” that is achieved with it, can still be attained.
Long periods of the game were concentrated between the half-way line and the edge of the Aveley box as the visitors showed a remarkable lack of ambition and Wealdstone sufficient creativity to break them down.
Hughes and Elder did all they could by fair means or foul, often the latter, to upset the Stones back line and create openings, but only on one occasion did they succeed when Hughes fired wide just after half an hour in between Wealdstone efforts from Marvin Morgan (headed a glorious chance wide from six yards) and Brett Freeman (fired over from 20 yards).
At this point, with Stones one goal up, it looked like the game would develop into an exciting contest, but this never happened. All that did occur was an increasing tension among the crowd as Stones defended their slender lead – admittedly quite easily.
Only late on did the introduction of Ben Alexander liven up the proceedings a little as some ball trickery led to some panic defending and at least Palmer in the Aveley goal had a shot to save.
Even the solitary goal on 22 minutes had a hint of offside about it. Freeman blocked an attempted clearance. Richard Jolly lifted the bouncing ball on, and Morgan headed it over the advancing Palmer.
There were no complaints, the goal stood and Wealdstone, on the whole saw out the remainder of the game comfortably.
Harrow Times – Steve Paull
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