REPORT | Wealdstone 2-0 FC Halifax Town
Wealdstone came away with all three points in their first home game of 2024 after tightly contested game against Halifax Town at Grosvenor Vale.
The Stones took the lead early on when Aaron Henry struck a sweetly hit effort into the bottom corner, scoring what turned out to be the only goal of the game.
A relatively dominant first-half from the Stones probably should have seen them way ahead at the break, but the away side tweaked things at half-time, giving the Stones a much tougher second-half.
In the dying moments of the game, substitute TahvonCampbell was on hand to tap the ball in at the back-post to give the Stones their first win in the first game of the post Stuart Maynard era.
Taking charge of their first and only game in interim charge, Alex Dyer and Rory Fitzgerald made four changes to the side that beat Chelmsford City in the FA Trophy. Captain Jack Cook returned to the starting XI, as did Sean Adarkwa, Max Kretzschmar and Micah Obiero, with new gaffer David Noble keeping an eye on proceedings from the stand.
Henry was the first player to try his luck at goal when he picked up the ball around the edge of the box, three minutes in, and hit a fierce effort towards Sam Johnson’s goal that looked destined for the back of the net.
The Stones continued to fashion chances, and couldn’t have come closer to taking the lead in the 11th minutes when Kretzschmar laid the ball into the path of Cook, who flicked a cheeky backheel towards goal, which was cleared off the line by a Halifax defender.
Just one minute later, the Stones did make the breakthrough when Henry’s effort fizzed through as host of bodies in the box and into the bottom corner to score his first goal back at the club, in his second spell at Grosvenor Vale.
A dominant spell of pressure continued for the Dyer’s side and Charlie Barker was the next Stones player to test Johnson, as his volley from a corner flew goal-bound, but was frantically collected by the Halifax keeper.
Looking to break the Stones dominance in possession, the Shaymen’s biggest chance of the half came in the 32nd minute when Adan George drove at the Stones goal, but his deflected effort fizzed wide of Marcus Dewhurst’s goal.
With just a few minutes left of the half, the Stones had a huge chance to double their lead when they hit Halifax on the break, giving Nathan Ferguson the chance to square it into the path of Kretzschmar, but a slight bobble on the pitch took the ball away from his stride, and his scuffed effort sailed wide.
A second half with relatively little goalmouth action saw the first real chance of the half come in the 60th minute when Jordan Keane looked to try his luck from range, but his effort flew narrowly wide of the Wealdstone goal.
It was almost a dream debut for substitute Charlie Seaman when he found space down the right-flank and picked out a pinpoint cross to Sam Bowen, but with most of the goal to aim at, the Welshman uncharacteristically blasted his effort over the bar.
In the dying embers of the game, the Stones had once final chance to seal the deal when Seaman found himself in a similar position once again, and placed his cross into the path of Campbell to tap-in at the back post and give the Stones all three points at Grosvenor Vale.
Up next for the Stones is a home fixture against Aldershot Town on Tuesday at 19:45 to start of David Noble’s tenure as Wealdstone manager.
WEALDSTONE: Dewhurst, Barker, Cook (c), Mundle-Smith, Mason, Charles, Henry, Ferguson, Obiero (Bowen 79), Kretzschmar (Seaman 71), Adarkwa (Campbell 66).
Subs not used: Barrett, Andrews.
Attendance: 1,519 (including 111 Halifax supporters)
Report by Will Beaman