Wealdstone 1 – 0 Leyton
Wealdstone
1 - 0
LeytonPost Jolly and Leese but with Beckford still on form, Stones changed their style a little today, utilizing new signing Wayne Cort’s physical strength and allowing Jermaine Beckford to play off him, and both players quickly struck up an awareness of each other.
Their first combination almost brought a debut goal for Cort as he set Beckford off wide – Jermaine then beat his man and drove in a low cross just inches from the outstretched foot of Cort in the middle of the box. Minutes later and Cort again nodded the ball on for Beckford, the ball bobbling as his shot fired over the bar.
It wasn’t all Wealdstone however as Leyton had good spells of possession, but a well marshalled stones defence limited their efforts from some range, few troubling Jackson in Stones goal, the defence soaking up the threats closer to home.
On 26 minutes Stones took the lead. A long ball from Burrell was allowed back to Hassell in the Leyton goal, though he was on the edge of his penalty area, almost in slow motion in seemed chased back by Wayne Cort. As the keeper went to clear, Cort raised a leg and blocked the clearance which fell to the onrushing Beckford some 20 yards out and he turned and placed the ball into the empty net to give the Stones the lead.
He also had a few more chances as the half went on, but as last week at Staines he was foiled by some excellent goalkeeping as Hassell kept the score respectable, while his forwards created no more than half chances at the other end. Stones did almost increase their lead when in form Phil Turner picked up a loose ball and tried his luck from fully thirty five yards only to see the back-pedaling Hassell fall into the net as the ball shaded over the crossbar.
The second half saw the visitors more lively, and Stones started defending a little deeper, but again there was little threat though twice visiting forwards squandered chances when they should have done better, and both Chappell and Turner cleared from under the bar midway through the half.
On 70 minutes, Stones thought they had increased their lead when Cort’s header from a corner seemed to be destined for the bottom corner but Hassell again made the save and moments later he was denied when the ball did cross the line and was pulled back by a defender’s had but with both Referee and Linesman ‘s views blocked by the melee, Leyton cleared and the game continued.
Hassell again saved well from Cooper and Beckford in one on one situations, but as the half wore on Leyton pushed hard for the equaliser and Jackson made a couple of saves look very comfortable as he held onto a clean sheet, stones running out winners by 1-0.
Wealdstone: Glen Jackson, Carl Ashton, Jamie Palmer, Phil Turner, Dave Ryan (s41 Lee Chappell), Chris Zoricich, Luke Smith (s58 Richard Burton), Josh Cooper, Jermaine Beckford, Wayne Cort, Gary Burrell (s87 Graeme Montgomery), Subs not used: Lee Holland, Junior Thompson.