Report - Wealdstone 1 - 2 Dartford
The 2019/20 National League South champions and play-off finalists met at Grosvenor Vale, with the latter running out 2-1 victors as both sides continued their pre-season preparations.
Dartford went ahead through former Stone Jack Jebb, the hosts equalised through Michee Efete but were pegged back by Noor Husin's strike on half time. It was an electric opening three minutes with Trialist A pulling off a great stop to tip round the post from Jack Barham in the opening seconds. Dartford had their own Trialist A between the sticks and he pulled off a good stop a minute later to deny Ross Lafayette from a tight angle. His stop from the resulting corner was equally impressive to deny Moses Emmanuel, with Efete firing over the rebound at the second at the second attempt.
The Darts then went ahead on 27 minutes after some smart work from new signing Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong, his low cross found the feet of Jebb who poked in from close range.
Wealdstone responded well and had an effort cleared off the line by Darts captain Tom Bonner. Efete crossed for Lafayette who headed back across goal to Dennon Lewis, but the Darts skipper scooped his effort off the line and over.
However the Stones levelled from the resulting corner, Danny Green found Efete unmarked at the far post and he smashed the ball in from close range.
Lewis almost put the Stones ahead just three minutes later after Jacob Mendy dispossessed Elliot Romain by the touchline, he found Lewis in the centre who shrugged off ex-Stone Josh Hill and sent an effort toward the bottom corner, but Trialist A was alert to tip round the post.
And on the stroke of half time the Darts took the lead. Husin showed some smart control to get the ball out of his feet and beat his man before stroking the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
The second half was a far more cagey affair with Wealdstone's Trialist A the only survivor from the opening whistle. Ricky Modeste had the best chance of the half meeting the end of a corner delivery with his head, but Trialist E headed his effort off the line.
By Chris Woods
Wealdstone First Hour: Trialist A, Efete, Stevens, Okimo, Mendy, Charles, Phillips, Green, Lewis, Emmanuel, Lafayette.
Wealdstone last half-an-hour: Trialist A, Sheppard, Trialist O, Cawley, McLennan, Trialist, Trialist F, Trialist N, Trialist P, Wishart, Hughes. Unused sub: Everett. Dartford: Trialist A (King 46), Barnum-Bobb (Trialist B 46), Hill (Vint 46), Bonner (Essam 46), Braham-Barrett (Trialist C 46), Ijaha (Noble 46), Husin (Wynter 46), Jebb (Modeste 46), Berkeley-Agyepong (Trialist D 46), Romain (Sheringham 46), Barham (Marsh-Brown 46).