Match Report by Nick DuGard: Saturday, 23 April 2016: National League South:
Wealdstone 1 St Albans City 1
Wealdstone gained the point that finally saw them fully mathematically safe whilst St Albans are not yet entirely out of danger, still looking over their shoulders even though they have been in great form recently.
It was City that came out of the traps by far the brightest, playing with great energy and drive on the back on their recent and remarkable winning run. It only took 4 minutes for them to take the lead when the home side’s back line was pulled apart and Louie Theophaneous stole in to plant the ball wide of an exposed Jonathan North
City piled on the pressure with Stones looking all over the place and defending desperately with further goals looking almost inevitable at that point.
But somehow Wealdstone survived the onslaught and gradually pulled themselves around and eased into the game. James Demetriou, starting as centre forward, was unlucky with a great turn outside the area but his strike went wildly over.
Stones broke when they could and Bradley Hudson-Odoi dallied when he was in a great position and an excellent chance to level the scores came and went.
Still against the run of a play a piece of good fortune meant that Stones grabbed an equaliser. On 38 minutes, from a sharp Scott Davies free kick the ball cannoned off City’s James Kaloczi and he scored an own goal.
The leveller appeared to diminish City’s confidence and this carried through to most of the second half as Stones now dominated play and looked to win the game with better passing playing down the slope.
Play was now far more open and swung from end to end. Wealdstone substitute Nathan Mavila again made a strong impact and his admirable tenacity won the ball back on several crucial occasions and added to the homes sides attacking threat.
Great defending particularly from man of the match Dale Binns saw Stones create a safe platform to launch a series of attacks but they couldn’t make the breakthrough.
Wealdstone’s best effort fell to Davies whose 30 yard thunderbolt was brilliantly palmed away by Joe Welch.
Wealdstone : North, Smith, Binns, Parker, Hamblin, Godfrey, Wright, Urquhart, Demetriou (Louis 67), Davies, Hudson-Odoi (Mavila 45)
Subs not used: Lucien, Kalenga, McGleish
Attendance: 777
