Wealdstone 3 – 1 Ford Utd
Wealdstone3 - 1
Ford UnitedFord Bridged…
Aan excellent performance by the Stones tonight. Ten (10) points from a possible Twelve (12), our best run of the season ?
The first half was evenly contested, with Wealdstone having more of the ball, though Ford did cause us problems at the back. Wealdstone rotated their squad and had Hingley and Marvin up front, and both worked very hard. Ford could have snatched the lead but a looping shot over Watts fortunately hit the top of the bar and went over. Just before half time, some good work by Danny Tilbury down the right enabled him to get a good cross in, this was blocked by a defender but fell into the path of Hingley who swivelled and hit a crisp right foot shot into the bottom corner.
1-0 to the Stones at half time.
Wealdstone quickly doubled their advantage early in the second half, as Marvin held the ball up on the right hand side, before picking out a late run into the box by Carl Holmes who rose majestically to head home, though the ball appeared to trickle under the keeper’s hands. After this a combination of Wealdstone sitting too deep, and Ford raising their game saw our visitors come to the fore, and within five minutes of our second goal Ford grabbed a lifeline when one of their players finished a good move with a cool finish that gave Watts no chance.
From this point it was all Ford, as we suddenly lost the ability to string two passes together, though some stout defending and good goalkeeping from Watts kept us ahead. At this point it seemed a certainty that the next goal in the contest would go to Ford, and then we would have been hanging on for a point. Fortunately our players weren’t prepared to throw in the towel, and it was us who added a third goal when Tilbury appeared to be tripped in the penalty area, and while time seemed to stop as everyone looked at the referee, Wayne Carter ghosted in unnoticed to calmly slide the ball under the keeper to send the White Lion Ground into ecstasy. Soon after Ford were reduced to ten men, when a free for all saw their No 9 holding and rabbit punching one of our players numerous times. It was on the blind side of the referee, so fair play to the grey haired linesman (who I had had a run in with in the first half) as he told the ref exactly what had happened. Cue much shouts of “Byeeeeeee” as the nine just glared!
Stones should have added a fourth, when substitute Ben Alexander set up Marvin eight yards out, but he blazed the ball high over the bar. Final score 3-1 to Wealdstone Good battling all round tonight, with Holmes giving another good display, but my Man of the Match was Wayne Carter, who never stopped running throughout and capped a fine display with the goal that sealed the contest The only down side was Amartifio and Walker going off injured, and I hope they both get back to fitness soon.
Honest Opinion? A good performance eases the pressure – a couple more will do starting on Saturday we hope.
Wealdstone: Watts, Amarteifio (s25 Joyce) Reed (b22), Walker (sBurgess89), Reeve, Lamb, Carter(70), Hingley (44, s75 Alexander), Morgan, Holmes (48), Tilbury, Sub not used: Norman
(Report courtesy of Megaphone Mick)