Match Report by Nick DuGard: Tuesday, 21 July 2015: Pre-Season Friendly: Wealdstone 1 Wycombe Wanderers 3
Wealdstone are still not able to field anything like a full first team with injuries, holidays and unavailability continuing. Tuesday night was again something of a selection headache for Manager Gordon, newly returned from a break abroad, and now facing a depleted defence also shorn of Wes Parker who failed a late fitness test. New signing Tom Cadmore is not yet ready following an earlier op and midfielder Scott Davies remains some way off a return to action. Matt Ball is due to return from the States this week following a successful summer with Albuquerque.
However there was good news in that the experienced Carl Martin was able to get valuable minutes in following injury and Dale Binns returned to the starting line up. But with Micky Corcoran moved into a centre half role this was far from a perfect shape to face a strong Sky Bet League 2 side in Wycombe Wanderers.
Olly Duffy came back into the starting line up and boosted the defence admirably though and Corcoran always looked comfortable.
In the event Stones acquitted themselves very well and gave their professional visitors more than a decent run for their money particularly in a strong first half. Elliott Godfrey scored Wealdstone’s first friendly goal of the pre-season on 32 minutes and what a lovely effort it was from fully 30 yards giving Chairboys Keeper, Alex Lynch no chance whatsoever.
However the away side soon hit back – ironically from former Stones favourite Luke O’Nien who was trialling for Wanderers, ensuring that the two sides were level pegging at the break.
Wycombe were far more of a threat in the second period and as so often happens they took the lead after Stones missed an absolute sitter as the busy Dale Binns raced clear and with only Ingram to beat shot wide.
Garry Thompson wrapped up the scoring for the away side on 61 minutes with the third but Wealdstone kept plugging away and almost pulled one back with Binns again prominent on the left flank. Multiple substitutions further disrupted matters but that is to be expected at this stage of proceedings
Despite another ‘reverse’ these matches are about performances, fitness, and assessing trialists and Stones can be satisfied with a decent night’s work as they look to get more established players back into the frame before the big kick-off.
Wealdstone: Brown, Duffy, Watts, Martin, Corcoran, Godfrey, Wright, Brown (Dan), Louis, Hope, Binns. Subs used: Hutchinson, Bonnet-Johnson, Lucien, Tison-Lascaris, McGleish. Not used: Poniskaitis (GK), Christian – Law, Moses.
Attendance:390
