Wealdstone 3 – 0 Berkhamsted
Wealdstone3 - 0
Berkhamsted TownA Wealdstone side showing a number of changes through injury had the perfect start when both Jason Shaw and Billy Amarteifio passed pre-match fitness tests. They carried this into the match when Danny Tilbury cut inside his defender after two minutes and scored with a low shot off the inside of the post, settling the home side into their stride early on.
Chances fell to both Swaysland and Beckford and Wealdstone’s young side played some good football and caused early problems for the visitors with both Hercules and Fisher exploiting the width and getting the ball forward.
Berkhamsted were limited to breaks from defence and it was from one of these that Stones increased their lead. Amarteifio played the ball forward from defence to Tilbury and he played the ball through a static defence where Mickie Swaysland and Beckford both broke through, Swaysland collecting the ball and shooting past the oncoming Webb on the half hour.
Stones continued to press, and when the visitors did break away, Adan, Amarteifio and Carter were more than a match for their opponents.
Just on half time, Martin Carter hit a shot from fully thirty yards which beat the visiting goalkeeper but cannoned back off the crossbar where Jermaine Beckford in his first league start of the season anticipated the rebound well and shot home to give Stones a 3 – 0 half time lead.
The second half was a different story, as Berkhamsted came out stronger and ‘upped’ the pace, at times forcing Stones to defend in numbers but again the defence held up well, although at least twice the visitors saw a ball go across the face of the goal with no-one their to add the final touch.
This time, it was Stones that were forced to play on the break, and Ryan, Swaysland and Alexander all forced saves from a spell of corners, but there were to be no more goals, Stones running out winners by 3 – 0 to end the year in second place.
Wealdstone:Andy Carter, James Fisher, Tyronne Hercules, (s70 Carl Hunt), Gulad Adan (b65), Billy Amarteifio, Martin Carter, Dave Ryan (s80 Matt Perry), Jason Shaw, Mickie Swaysland (29), Jermaine Beckford (45 s62 Ben Alexander) Danny Tilbury (2) Subs not used: Charlie Leary, Charlie Mapes