St. Albans City 1 – 1 Wealdstone
St Albans City1 - 1
WealdstoneWealdstone got their pre-season campaign underway with a 1-1 draw away to National League South side St Albans City at Clarence Park. Jerome Okimo opened the scoring with a venomous strike before Shaun Jeffers equalised from the spot with 12 minutes to play.
Apart from the goalkeeper Trialist A, Wealdstone’s starting eleven compiled of ten first team players, new signings Jack Cook, Andrew Eleftheriou, Matt Buse and Josh Umerah all made their first appearances in a Stones shirt.
The game was played out in the searing Hertfordshire heat and this affected the tempo, with the game played out as a typical pre-season friendly.
Wealdstone’s trialist goalkeeper was the first to be called into any action, denying Saints winger Romeo Akinola.
Despite this, the Stones did show their quality that has them a division above their National League South opponents, making a number of intricate plays.
And the Stones took the lead on 40 minutes. Alex Dyer’s corner kick wasn’t cleared by the Saints defence and it fell to Okimo on the penalty spot who lashed an effort into the top corner.
There were wholesale changes at half time by Stones boss Stuart Maynard, with only Trialist F remaining on the pitch as he replaced the injured Ashley Charles midway through the first half.
Trialist B made a smart reaction stop to deny David Noble a St Albans equaliser on the hour mark.
The sub trialist goalkeeper made another great stop to deny Liam Sole from a 25-yard free kick.
St Albans were beginning to grow into the game, and minutes later Sole did beat Trialist B, although this time his effort crashed off the post.
And the hosts grabbed a deserved equaliser on the 77th minute after Jeffers was brought down in the box. He dusted himself off and converted the penalty.
Stones almost restored the lead with a deadly counter-attacking move from one of the trialists but St Albans sub keeper Guathier tipped his effort round the post.
And the young home keeper pulled off a heroic stop to prevent Fasanmade grabbing a winner for the Stones in the final moments of the game.
WEALDSTONE: Trialist A (Trialist B 45), Cook (Trialist C 45), Okimo (c) (Trialist D 45), Tavares (Cawley 45), Eleftheriou (Trialist E 45), Charles (Trialist F 21), Dyer (Trialist G 45), Buse (Trialist H 45), Lewis (Wishart 45), Browne (Fasanmade 45), Umerah (Shrowder 45).
Report by Chris Woods