Report - Wealdstone 1 - 2 Colchester United
Wealdstone fell to a 2-1 defeat against EFL League Two side Colchester United at Grosvenor Vale.
The Stones were reduced to 10-men just before the break following Danny Green's dismissal, however took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Moses Emmanuel.
The visitors made the most of the man advantage and went ahead following goals from Tom Eastman and Jevani Brown.
The first half was a fairly cautious affair from both sides with Brown carving out a couple of half chances for the visitors. It wasn't until the 41st minute that the game sparked into life, when Green saw red for a foul on Miquel Scarlett.
This did not deter the National League South champions though as they took the lead just before half-time. Jacob Mendy worked well down the left, beating his man and delivering a low cross to Ross Lafayette at the near post, the strike got in front of his man and thundered an effort off the crossbar, luckily Emmanuel was on-hand to slot in the rebound from close range.
Colchester remained unchanged for the second half as the Stones, had a completely new 10-man line-up bar Trialist A in goal. And the League Two U's made the most of the man advantage just seven minutes into the second half. Tommy Smith headed back across the goal from a corner and his centre-back partner Eastman nodded in from close range.
The U's upped their performance levels, showing the quality that got them into the League Two play-offs last season and took the lead on 62 minutes when Brown slid in a low cross from Cohen Bramall.
It was then Wealdstone who had the better of the chances for the remainder of the game, with Trialist M's fierce effort well held by Dean Gerken and Charlee Hughes also fired a shot wide of the goal.
The Stones best chance to equalise came on 86 minutes, when Trialist M's cross was met by the head of Danny Parish, his header squirmed under Gerken on the slick surface but the keeper recovered to palm the ball off the goal line.
By Chris Woods
Wealdstone: Trialist A, Efete (Sheppard, 46), Stevens (Phillips, 46), Okimo (Cawley, 46), Mendy (McLennan, 46), Charles (Trialist F, 46), Smith (Wishart, 46), Green, Emmanuel (Trialist M, 46), Lewis (Parish, 46), Lafayette (Hughes, 46).
Unused subs: Everett, Trialist E. Colchester: Gerken, Scarlett (Senior, 60), Eastman (Marshall-Miranda, 60), Smith, Bramall, Pell (c), Chilvers (Welch-Hayes 60), Stevenson (Sowumni 60), Poku, Harriott (Hutchinson 67), Brown (Fernandes 67). Unused subs: George, Kensdale, Clampin, Hasanally, McLeod.