Wealdstone 1 – 3 Leyton
Wealdstone
PR1 - 3
LeytonA match that was always expected to be hard against Div 2 favourites Leyton proved to be exactly that.
Stones got the perfect start after four minutes when Shayne Chandler misjudged a header. The ball ran to Charlie MApes who lobbed the visiting keeper to give Stones the lead, and this seemed to settle the nerves, allowing Stones to get on top of a big strong physical side, although without further troubling the visitors defence.
On 16 minutes, a strong break from Layton saw Carter parry a well driven shot, but unfortunately only to Soteriou who reacted quicker than his marker to slot the ball past the stranded Carter top equalise. It gave the visitors the lift they needed and rocked Stones and worse was to follow.
On 25 minutes Leyton’s Gregoriou ran through four challenges before shooting home to give the visitors the lead. Stones battled on and certainly had a territorial advantage for the remainder of the half but could not break through – chances from Swaysland, Hercules and Tilbury being saved by Peat and Leyton too had chances – one shot from distance coming back off the Stones post to safety, but the visitors maintained their lead to half time.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Stones had more of the ball and the territorial advantage but it wasn’t until late in the half that Mapes forced another save from peat. Leyton again hit Stones on the break and created half chances, the best when a long cross dropped onto the crossbar and away.
In the dying moments, Leyton sealed the win when Carter could only help a shot from Fenton into the back of the net. Although this ignited a spell of pressure from Stones and both Shaw and Beckford had efforts saved, there was no revival, Stones having been out-muscled in midfield the telling factor.
Wealdstone: Andy Carter, Danny White, Tyronne Hercules (s70 Joe O’Reagan), Robin Tucker (capt s85 Rob Courtnage), Matt Carvell, Dave Ryan (s70 Jermaine Beckford), Charlie Mapes (4), Jason Shaw, Mickie Swaysland, Marvin Morgan , Danny Tilbury. Subs Not Used: David Godfrey, James Fisher