Wealdstone 1 – 0 Croydon Athletic
Wealdstone3R
1 - 0
Croydon AthleticStones made a couple of changes to the staring line-up, with Josh Cooper Lee Chappell and Graham Montgomery – all teenagers – all starting, and Lee Carroll returning in goal and it was a bright start from the side all round, as they penned the visitors back from the off.
First chances fell to Jolly and Beckford, then Burrell, White and Cooper all saw efforts blocked or narrowly wide, Croydon’s first chance not coming until a breakaway in the 23rd minute and ending with a shot wide of the mark. On 26 minutes the impressive Montgomery beat his man on the left and fired in a deep cross which wrong footed the visiting keeper, Richard Jolly coming in at the back post to score with a header, a goal which looked certain to be the first of many…
The remainder of the half saw Beckford Jolly and White again have chances that would have increased the tally f the goal had been as little as six inches wider, but it wasn’t to be and the score remained 1-0.
The second half was played in similar fashion. Stones seeming holding the ball and going forward at will, but in front of goal it wasn’t their night as the Croydon defence blocked, the keeper saved and the accuracy was a little off line – fans thinking that as Croydon broke through on three or four occasions the equaliser was sure to come, but it didn’t.
even down to the last minutes, Holland, Montgomery and Chappell got into the act ‘up front’ but they too squandered chances which in the end didn’t matter as Stones ran out ‘comfortable’ 1-0 winners on perhaps Lee Carrol’s quietest night in football.
Wealdstone: Lee Carroll, Phil Turner (s72 Lee Holland), Lee Chappell, Ross White, Dave Ryan, Andy Keepenc3e, Josh Cooper, Graeme Montgomery, Jermaine Beckford, Richard Jolly, Gary Burrell, Subs Nnot used: Neil McDonald, Carl Ashton, Mark Thompson, Louis Lancaster