Wealdstone 2 – 3 Braintree
Wealdstone
2 - 3
Braintree TownMissing both Richard Jolly and Dean Harding, it was a slightly changed Stones side that took the field against Braintree Town, but despite having more of the game and creating more chances, Stones conceded three goals to defensive lapses to ensure another home defeat.
The game started at a quick tempo and with a few strong (though fair) challenges from both sides, and both sets of forwards probed the opposing defence for cracks. In the early exchanges Beckford and Burrell went close for Wealdstone while Harris and Keepence both won crucial challenges with Griffiths on the ball for the visitors, but it was the visitors who broke through first on 33 minutes.
Stones defence failed to clear from a free kick, the ball remaining in and around the penalty area for some time before if fell to Griffiths again, this time he made no mistake giving the visitors the lead.
This seemed to set Stones on the back foot as they struggled for fully ten minutes to get back into the game – a period when Braintree could easily have extended their lead, though a couple of saves and effective if scrappy defending held them at bay. Just before half time though, Stones pushed on again and were awarded a penalty when the Assistant and Referee both saw a ‘hand off; across Adolphe’s face in the box. Up stepped Beckford to score from the spot leaving the half time score at 1-1.
The second half was again well contested, and an early effort from Beckford was well saved before on 51 minutes, Stones turned attack to a lack of defence with alarming speed. given a free kick ten yards outside the Braintree box, the kick went straight into the wall and Braintree broke forward. A defensive challenge gave away a throw to the visitors near the edge of the Stones Penalty box, and as the throw was taken, Joseph made the most of space towards the bye-line to put in a cross. This found the unmarked Griffiths who headed across the box rather than at goal, where Riddle was also unmarked to stab the ball home despite Ling’s dive.
The next ten minutes were all Wealdstone as Ryan stretched to reach a Beckford cross, his effort just over the bar, then Beckford again set up Cox in the penalty area, but the forward, out of touch, snapped at the shot and pulled the ball wide with only the goalkeeper to beat, the Beckford again stretched into a challenge with the visiting keeper, just getting to the ball first only to see it hit the angle of post and crossbar, then bouncing out of play.
Shortly after this, Stones gave the ball away again in midfield as Adolphe came under pressure – the visitors strode towards goal, this time Griffiths beating Ling with a low shot from an acute angle to make the score 3-1
To their credit, Stones did keep up the pressure and on 73 minutes a deep corner fell to Baptiste who volleyed home from 15 yards to make the score 3-2 as Stones ran at the visitors and hustled them out of their game. It was to no avail though as efforts from Cooper, Turner and Beckford failed to get the equaliser and the visitors took the points with a 3-2 victory.
Wealdstone: Russell Ling, Andy Keepence, Dave Norman (s45 Liam Baptiste), Ryan Harris, Ross White, Carl Ashton (s80 Phil Turner), Paul Adolphe (s63 Josh Cooper), Darrell Cox, Jermaine Beckford, Dave Ryan, Gary Burrell, Subs not used: Lee Holland, Lee Chappell.