Wealdstone 4 -1 Northwood
WealdstoneSF
4 - 1
NorthwoodA great first half performance from Wealdstone was enough to seal the victory in this cup semi-final against a lack-lustre Northwood side, despite Stones missing a twice taken penalty in the fifth minute.
A Morgan cross was handled and Dave Ryan stepped up to take the spot kick – he scored, but the referee spotted encroachment and ordered the kick retaken. This time Carroll saved low to his right to continue a Stones poor run from the spot.
Stones continued to press and hassled Northwood at every opportunity, giving them no space at all in the middle of the park, and it was very much Stones who were attacking. On 28 minutes they did finally score when a ball broke free to Tommy Williams and his shot from 25 yards nestled in the corner of the net. Ten minutes later Gary McKeown scored his first for the club. Back to goal and with three markers on him he chested the ball down, turned and shot past the static Carroll from 12 yards to extend Stones lead and five minutes later it was three as Marvin Morgan beat his man and whipped in a cross well met by Richard Jolly for Stones third of the half.
The second half followed a similar pattern early on, although three substitutions for Northwood did spur then on, and back into the game.
It was Wealdstone though who scored again. Morgan again beating his man and cutting into the box he squared the ball to Danny Tilbury who calmly placed his shot wide of Carroll to give Stones a 4-0 lead.
Northwood did pull one back from the penalty spot after Ryan was harshly adjudged to have fouled Julienne, but this did little to lift their game as Stones kept the pressure on to secure their place in the Cup Final.
Harrow Times
Wealdstone 4 – 1 Northwood
Stones supreme……
SUPERB is the word to describe the way Wealdstone disposed of Northwood in this Charity Cup semi-final.
Equally, it was amazing how poor Northwood were, just 12 months after they steamrollered all before them to get last season’s promotion.
Right from the start, Stones were on top and were awarded a penalty after just two minutes when Metcalfe handled Marvin Morgan’s cross.
Wealdstone have missed a lot of penalties this season, so it was with great relief that Dave Ryan put the kick away. Unfortunately the referee chose this moment to begin a poor performance by getting the kick re-taken, presumably for encroachment.
Why this should matter when the goal is scored, who knows? Every penalty would have to be re-taken if the letter of the law was observed. Ryan’s second kick was saved.
Northwood weathered Wealdstone’s bright start and began to put Stones into retreat. Nicholls fired wide, Knight headed an inch perfect cross over the bar and Andy Carter had to save an errant back-header fron Brett Freeman.
But three goals in a 14-minute spell completely changed the game. On 29 minutes, Tommy Williams seized on a poor clearance to fire a 25-yard shot through a forest of bodies into the corner.
This was followed by a first Wealdstone goal from Gary McKeown ten minutes later when, with superb close control on the edge of the box, he turned to fire an unstoppable shot past Carroll in the Northwood goal.
Wealdstone supporters, amazed at the quality of performance in defence and attack, and two goals up, barely had time to recover before it was three.
Williams fed Morgan in space on the right. As he moved into the box, it was probably a shot that he let fire with, and it was going wide too, but the predatory Richard Jolly was there at the far post for the simplest of tap-ins.
Northwood were completely shell-shocked and defensively, completely disorganised.
A little bit more composure could have produced many more goals but only one came from Danny Tilbury on the hour, when Morgan’s run drew the entire defence and the pass gave the scorer time to compose himself and place a curling right foot shot into the bottom corner.
All poor referees feel they are obliged to give an “equalising” penalty in a game, so did this one.
Northwood were so rarely in the Wealdstone area that he had to give it for the most theatrical of dives by ex-Wealdstone player Julienne, who went round all evening with attitude and a sulk on his face.
He got booked, true, but only had the extreme leniency of the referee to thank for staying on the pitch. After a bit of a scuffle following the dive, and the conned official giving the penalty, Heselton scored it.
At 4-1, with 18 minutes to go, Stones supporters naturally got the first signs of concern.
But it was not necessary and, although the game finished quietly, it was Wealdstone through Beckford who were the most likely to score again, although Carter did have his first save to make from a Heselton free kick around the defensive wall.
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