Wealdstone 4 – 2 Salisbury City
Wealdstone
4 - 2
Salisbury CityA bright start in an important game for Wealdstone as they needed a win to start the climb away from the bottom of the table.
On top early on with some quick flowing football, Stones opened their account for the afternoon through Richard Jolly on 7 minutes, scoring from a Gary Burrell corner. Stones kept the pressure on their visitors and extended the lead on 12 minutes, when a Brian Jones pass split the visiting defence, and Jolly was on hand to run at the keeper , slotting the ball past him for a 2-0 lead.
This spurred Salisbury on, and as Stones seemed to rest a little it was the visitors that took command of the game, although they did little to trouble the home defence until the 24th minute. A half clearance from McKeown fell kindly for the visitors and a quick pass released Wallace. With Carter seemingly rooted to his line, the forward ran on and, beating the keeper close in, slotted the ball home to bring the visitors back into the game.
Play was then fairly even for a quarter of an hour, both sides creating half chances and Salisbury forcing Stones to defend a little deeper. From a Salisbury attack, Stones cleared their lines quickly and a clearance found Jolly on half way. His sweet pass through the visiting back line released Jermaine Beckford and his pace and skill took him past and wide of the onrushing goalkeeper, finally slotting home Wealdstone’s third from 18 yards, and so it remained until half time.
The second half saw Salisbury change the shape of their side a little and this certainly gave them the edge for periods in midfield, but it was Stones who created the better of the chances, Beckford seeing two one on ones saved, and Gary Burrell seeing a fierce strike touched onto the bar and away.
On the hour though, Stones extended their lead when Beckford returned the compliment to Jolly with a ball through the defence and he scored his second one on one of the game to complete his hattrick.
Salisbury continued to play their part however and were awarded a free kick on 71 minutes, struck wide of the wall but inside the post – another perhaps that Andy carter may have dealt with – to give the visitors some hope, but the score remained 4-2 and Stones took all three points.
Harrow Times Steve Paull
Wealdstone 4 Salisbury 2
IT was on the opening day of the season that Wealdstone last won a league match at home. This made Sunday’s victory at the White Lion ground all the more sweet and continued the club’s push to escape from the dreaded relegation positions.
This hasn’t happened yet, but this well deserved victory can only continue to increase the side’s confidence for the battles ahead.
Richard Jolly scored a hat-trick and his fellow striker Jermaine Beckford the other as the pair teamed up brilliantly to torment the Salisbury defence all afternoon. On other days, Wealdstone could easily have doubled the score.
The only downside was the way the two Salisbury goals were conceded.
Jolly bagged a brace in the opening dozen minutes, first heading in Gary Burrell’s corner at the near post, then bursting into the box, checking back and firing past keeper Sawyer from 15 yards.
Despite this early onslaught, Salisbury battled on and were rewarded just before the half hour mark. Andy Carter perhaps should have dealt with a hopeful long ball but hesitated, allowing Wallace – who muscled in ahead of his marker – to reach the ball first, round the keeper, and score.
The Salisbury defence were having serious problems with the direct running and movement of Jolly and Beckford and it was no surprise when, ten minutes later, Jolly’s pass put Beckford clear to round Sawyer and restore the two goal advantage.
A Davis shot thumped the bar for the visitors but Beckford almost scored another just before the break only to be stopped by the legs of the advancing Sawyer.
The first fifteen minutes of the second half belonged to Beckford. He didn’t score but could have grabbed four as twice Sawyer saved, and twice he was just off target. What he did do was provide the clever pass on the hour mark for Jolly to score his hat-trick after taking the ball wide of Sawyer and slotting it in.
Wealdstone continued to threaten with almost every attack and Burrell almost made it five only for Sawyer to tip his effort onto the bar and over.
Salisbury still hadn’t given up and Davis reduced arrears twenty minutes from time with a free kick from the edge of the box that brought into question the positioning of Carter and his defensive wall.
As the game became scrappy in its later stages, the last piece of notable action was again at the Salisbury end as Sawyer saved with his feet from Beckford following another link up with Jolly.
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