Dover Athletic 2 – 3 Wealdstone
Dover Athletic2 - 3
WealdstoneWealdstone picked up a valuable three points on the road against Dover Athletic at the ‘Crabble’ in a battling 3-2 victory.
A double from Jayden Sweeney either side of a Josh Umerah strike was enough to win the match after the hosts equalised twice through Harry Ransom and Henry Woods.
Stones boss Stuart Maynard made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 away to Wrexham on the weekend, with skipper Jerome Okimo and Matt Buse returning to the starting eleven in place of the injured Nikola Tavares and suspended Ashley Charles.
And it was the ideal start for the visitors. Rhys Browne worked some space on the left to Josh Umerah in the box, he turned and played to Sweeney who was free on the right for the full-back to smash into the top corner just four minutes in.
Umerah then turned from goal provide to goal saver, on hand to clear Aaron Cosgrave’s effort off the line after his header beat George Wickens. The hosts however, equalised from the resulting corner when Ransom poked home at the near post on 11 minutes.
The hosts then took control of the half and Wickens had to be alert to hold an accurate header from Travis Gregory.
Cosgrave then should’ve put the Whites in front just a minute later. Ben Williamson dispossessed a wayward pass from a dallying Stones defence, playing in Cosgrave who was three versus one at the back, but the striker fired across the face of goal and wide instead of playing in one of his teammates.
The striker then had an even better chance on 23 minutes. Some good work from Woods on the left managed to craft a crossing chance but with the goal gaping the ball just hit off Cosgrave’s body and went wide.
And Umerah punished the hosts just a minute later, latching onto a long ball, comfortably holding off Jake Goodman and firing past Josh Bexon into the top corner.
Bexon then had to twice be alert to prevent Charlie Cooper from scoring direct from back-to-back corners.
After that frenetic first half the Stones almost doubled their lead a minute into the second. Sweeney’s corner found the free head of Umerah but his effort grazed off the outside of the post and went wide.
Wickens’ goal seemed impenetrable and on the hour mark he pulled off a fantastic save. Junior Tiensia’s cross found Cosgrave at the far post, he beat the keeper to it but the on loan Fulham stopper managed to beat away his effort with his trailing arm.
On 64 minutes, the keeper and his on loan Fulham teammate Connor McAvoy produced heroics to make two goal line clearances in a scramble in the Stones area, only for it to fall to Woods on the edge of the box who smashed an unstoppable effort into the top corner to equalise.
But once again a resilient Stones responded. Cooper collected the ball out on the left and picked out a pinpoint cross to Sweeney who arrived just in the nick of time at the far post to tap it past Bexon.
The hosts almost grabbed a third equaliser in the dying embers of the game when sub Noah Carney got the end of a long free-kick but Wickens managed to beat it away with another strong arm.
That win on the road pushes the Stones into fifteenth with the in-form Stockport County visiting The Vale this Saturday 27th November at 3pm.
WEALDSTONE: Wickens, McAvoy, Cook, Okimo (c), Sweeney, Buse (Dronfield 68), Dyer, Cooper, Mundle-Smith, Browne (Bird 10), Umerah. Subs not used: Marigliani, Jackson, Mascoll.
Report by Chris Woods
Stuart Maynard post match HERE
Jon Taffel match pics HERE
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