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Wealdstone FC Youth Division Match Reports 2002/03 Season

Scroll down the page for older reports, latest report is at the top.

Reports for under 13 team 02/03

Headstone Manor A 4 v Wealdstone 2 Sunday 23rd March 2003

A disappointing result for Wealdstone after their recent run of form in their penultimate league match. The game got off to a scrappy start with all the play condensed to the left side. Moves became bogged down and Wealdstone players allowed themselves to be drawn out of position as they became embroiled in the melee. Headstone defended resolutely and ensured they had players behind the ball, which frustrated the Wealdstone attack. Eventually on twelve minutes Chris Paraskevas managed to find a way through to open the scoring for Wealdstone. Ten minutes later Headstone had a corner. The delivery to the near post was not dealt with and the ball bobbled around in front of goal before it was knocked over the line for the equaliser. Wealdstone tried in vain to regain the lead but were locked out by a tightly packed defence. Wealdstone made some changes at half time to strengthen their forward line and went all out in search of a goal. Despite repeated volleys of shots the Headstone defence survived. Then on forty-two minutes Headstone broke from defending a corner, slipped the ball past the defenders on the halfway line and rolled the ball past the hapless keeper to take the lead. Still Wealdstone kept up the assault on the Headstone goal. Omari Adjei-Dawkins dribbled his way into the penalty area and thought he had equalised when he passed the ball toward the open goal only to see it cleared off the line. On fifty-five and sixty-two minutes Headstone broke again and scored twice more to seemingly put the game beyond doubt, yet Wealdstone's onslaught was relentless. Two minutes from time Chris did pull one back but sadly the breakthrough came too late.

Wealdstone 7 v Hendon 2 Sunday 16th March 2003 (double header pt. 2)

A reorganised Wealdstone team began the second game as they did the first. After two minutes Eddie Egan supplied a perfect pass which Chris Paraskevas took in his stride and then drilled into the top corner of the goal. On ten minutes a corner clearance fell to Eddie some thirty yards out, who lined up his shot and returned the ball over the heads of the defence and the unsighted keeper for Wealdstone's second. Two minutes later Omari was brought down in the box. Alex Irani stepped up for the penalty which he took well but was denied by an outstanding save from the 'keeper. On twenty-three minutes Eddie ran with the ball from midfield, faced a one-on-one with the 'keeper who he dodged and calmly chipped. Less than a minute later Haris Adu deftly side footed the ball into the net from Dharren Nimalan's cross to once again put the visitors 4-0 up on the half. There was no let up from Wealdstone for the final twenty-five minutes as Hendon battled hard to get back in the game. In the twenty-eighth minute their efforts were rewarded with a goal. However, the Wealdstone pressure was relentless. On thirty-six minutes Chris made a great solo run from the halfway line and lobbed the on-rushing goalkeeper. Then on forty minutes Mike Tredgett opened his account for the season with a real net-buster. Hendon kept plugging away and forced an error that saw the ball bobble over the keeper's foot on an attempted clearance and over the goal line for their second. With five minutes to go Mike was on hand to head home and make certain that Alex Nichol's shot crossed the line and ensure that Wealdstone took maximum points.

Hendon 1 v Wealdstone 6 Sunday 16th March 2003 (double header pt. 1)

Wealdstone had trained hard in preparation for this double header. The boys knew they had a job to do and set about it from the first whistle. In the second minute Omari Adjei-Dawkins tucked away a loose ball in the six yard box for Wealdstone's opener. Ten minutes later Omari turned provider as he floated in a delightful cross which Andrew Mawby hammered home. Wealdstone continued to apply the pressure and after attempts by Tom Watson and Eddie Egan were blocked, Alex Irani's powerful left foot shot on eighteen minutes gave the 'keeper no chance. Just before half time Alex received a bang on the head and had to go off for treatment. On came Chris Paraskevas who scored with almost his first touch of the ball to put the visitors 4-0 up at the break. Possibly with the second game in mind, Wealdstone dropped the tempo in the second half. A lapse of concentration by the Hendon 'keeper, who picked up a back pass, conceded an indirect free kick ten yards in front of goal. Eddie rolled the ball to Chris who despatched it past the defenders on the line. At 5- 0 Wealdstone were content on containment. Simon Woods, stalwart of the Wealdstone defence, marshalled his back line well and on the three-quarter size pitch Hendon's long balls over the top were easily dealt with by keeper Callum Nicholas. With two minutes to go Hendon did find the back of the Wealdstone net. Stung by this Wealdstone's reply was instant; from the restart a series of quick passes found Chris who took on the last defender and rifled the ball into the goal to complete his hat-trick.

Greenford Celtic 1 v Wealdstone 4 Sunday 9th March 2003

The game was played on a bright, sunny afternoon with a strong wind that blew across the pitch that played havoc with any high ball. Greenford were very well organised at the back and were proving difficult to break down. Wealdstone had to be at their best to work an opening which came after eleven minutes. Kyle McFarlane won the ball in midfield, flicked it deftly over his challenger to create the space to make the pass wide to Omari Adjei-Dawkins on the left wing. Omari then attacked the defender on the edge of the penalty area, weaved passed another and fired into the roof of the net over the on-rushing goalkeeper. Three minutes later Eddie Egan whipped in a cross from the left wing for Alex Nichols to head home for Wealdstone's second. Greenford tried hard to break out from their half but Wealdstone were just as determined to contain them and quickly closed down any threat. Constant raids from the wingers kept the Greenford defenders occupied. On twenty-three minutes Chris Paraskevas worked an opening for a shot from the right which he drove low towards to left post. Omari reacted quickly and stole in at the back post in front of the defender to make sure of the goal. Then on thirty-two minutes in a move similar to the third goal Chris again shot low to the far corner and Omari, anticipating well, slid in and got his foot to the ball ahead of his marker to push it over the line to put the visitors 4 - 0 up at the break. Greenford came out for the second half with all guns blazing and caught Wealdstone napping. In the first minute two attackers were allowed to run unopposed down the right wing and when confronted by the defence shot high; Callum Nicholas jumped and got his fingers to the ball which looped high and held up in the wind before dropping into the goal. It was then Wealdstone's turn to show how to defend. A combination of dogged determination from Simon Woods, strength and ability from Haris Adu and Lee Britton's pace and stamina to make recovery runs in support of the wing backs limited Greenford to their single chance. Callum Nicholas, making his debut appearance in goal, was calm and assured and his confident handling snuffed out any danger.

Larkspur Rovers 4 v Wealdstone 2 Sunday 23rd February 2003

Wealdstone's visit to Larkspur Rovers produced a classic display between two quality sides, keenly contested, highly skilled, fast and exciting. The first half was typified by Wealdstone possession and Larkspur counter attacks. Alex Irani in goal was pressed into action within the first minute. Unable to hold an initial shot his quick reflexes foiled the second strike. Larkspur looked threatening from corners and so it was on six minutes that an in-swinging corner was headed in at the back post. Wealdstone then applied a fifteen minute spell of pressure when they kept possession and passed the ball well and created a number of chances that were either just wide or parried by the keeper. On nineteen minutes Alex Irani was called into action again; the home fans were on their feet about to cheer a low, goal bound shot when Alex hurled himself across his goal to keep the ball out. Shortly after, some nifty footwork from Eddie Egan created the space to find the pass to Chris Paraskevas, who kept his shot low and into the corner of the goal passed the out-stretched keeper. Just before the break Alex Irani had to leap and punch the ball clear of a packed goal area from another in-swinging corner to retain parity. 1 - 1 at half time the game was finely balanced. Wealdstone stepped up their efforts for the first ten minutes of the second half. Haris Adu fired just over the crossbar, Alex Nichols' cross glanced off the crossbar and his downward header was saved by the keeper. Then on fifty five minutes the see-saw tipped the other way. With the ball loose and inches from the goal Wealdstone had two vain attempts to knock it over the line. Larkspur cleared and broke quickly, with a couple of slick passes their forward slipped passed the defence and beat the keeper to retake the lead. Wealdstone's reply was instant, Kyle McFarlane laid on a perfectly weighted, defence-splitting pass for Chris to gather and drill low into the back of the net. Larkspur came back again and scored two swift goals in as many minutes. For the remaining ten minutes Wealdstone piled on relentless pressure while Larkspur locked up shop to defend their lead. There was late drama as a goal bound shot was handled on the line penalty to Wealdstone. Eddie stepped forward, hit the ball low and hard straight down the middle but the keeper didn't dive and the shot was saved. The referee indicated six minutes additional time and Wealdstone kept battering away. Omari Adjei-Dawkins let fly with a rocket of a shot from twenty yards bound for the back stanchion yet somehow the keeper managed to dive and snatch it cleanly. Finally the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the match and both sets of exhausted players congratulated each other on a well-played, close contest.

Forest United 3 v Wealdstone 2 Sunday 16th February 2003

Jurisprudence precludes the filing of a full match report pending a hearing by the HYFL Committee. What follows is a synopsis of events. In the second minute Forest were awarded a free kick fifteen yards in from Wealdstone's goal line close to the touch line from which they scored. Thirty-four seconds later Forest were awarded a penalty which was saved by keeper Sam Davies. On twelve minutes Forest were awarded another penalty which gave them their second goal. A minute following that Haris Adu was hacked down from behind in the Forest penalty area nothing given. On the half hour Omari Adjei-Dawson had two attempts on goal blocked, Dharren Nimalan followed up to pull one back for Wealdstone. In first half injury time Forest scored a third from a corner. Two minutes into the second half Haris Adu pounced on a loose ball in the box to reduce the deficit to one. Eddie Egan was then tripped by a late tackle in the Forest penalty box, nothing given. Try as they might Wealdstone's subsequent attacks were continually thwarted.

Wealdstone 9 v Greenford Celtic 1 Sunday 9^th February 2003 HYFL Div 2.

Wealdstone extended their winning run to four games with a victory over Greenford Celtic in a game played on a strength-sapping pitch that had barely recovered from last week’s game. A steady drizzle fell throughout the duration of the match but that didn’t dampen Wealdstone’s spirits, who took the game to Greenford straight from the kick-off. Chris Paraskevas broke with the ball in the third minute, took it past two defenders and shot from close range to open the scoring for Wealdstone. For the next five minutes Wealdstone kept and passed the ball well despite the conditions and culminated in a flowing move: Alex Nichols attacked down the centre, passed the ball wide to Andy on the right wing who took it to the corner before delivering a delightful cross for Omari to knock in at the near post. Greenford worked hard to get back into the game but could not sustain a passing movement. On nineteen minutes Kyle McFarlane tried another long range effort reminiscent of the previous week, which hit the crossbar; Chris, in true striker’s fashion, had followed up the shot and was first to react to score Wealdstone’s third. Four minutes later it was Alex’s turn to follow up Omari’s shot. After another four minutes relentless pressure forced a defender to head into his own goal from a Wealdstone corner. Five goals up Wealdstone eased off and Greenford took full advantage to nick one back just before the break. Chris started the second half as he did the first and scored an early goal for his hat-trick. The game quite literally started to become bogged down as conditions deteriorated. Wealdstone kept plugging away and on forty-eight minutes Alex Nichols bagged a brace in quick succession to claim his hat-trick. Finally on fifty-eight minutes a great solo effort from Nick Todd as he rounded two defenders and drilled the ball into the roof of the net for Wealdstone’s ninth and effectively seal the result.

Wealdstone 13 v Forest United 2 Sunday 2^nd February 2003 HYFL Div 2.

Firstly a big thanks to the ground-staff (all the dads) who helped clear the snow, ice and surface water from the pitch to enable the game to go ahead. It was amazing and a credit to the players that they were able to move and pass so well on what soon developed into a muddy morass. The game started evenly enough with both sides having an equal share of possession. Wealdstone adapted their game to suit the conditions and on seven minutes a long pass found Eddie Egan who opened the scoring. Three minutes later however Wealdstone forgot to adopt their normal positions for attacking a corner so that when Forest broke out their players could cover the open ground unopposed, rush the outnumbered defenders and level the score. Stung by this reposte Wealdstone hit back straight from the restart. Great control and a perfect pass from Kyle McFarlane set Alex Nichols free to run on goal and retake the lead. On twenty two minutes Alex finished again this time from close range after Chris Paraskevas’ and Haris Adu’s shots had been blocked. Eleven minutes later Eddie was clear through on goal when he was felled from behind. Chris Paraskevas reacted first to the loose ball and scored as the referee played an advantage. Wealdstone then netted three times in as many minutes from Chris and Haris – Omari Adjei-Dawkins’ effort was disallowed – to go in 6 – 1 up at the break. Determined to maintain the pressure Wealdstone began the second half sprightly. Within thirty seconds of the restart the Forest ‘keeper cleared the ball from the corner of his penalty area; it dropped to Kyle on the half way line who showed great vision (no doubt inspired by Beckham) to loft the ball straight back into the yawning, vacant goal. With Forest unable to see a way back into the game it seemed simply a question of how many more Wealdstone would score. On forty minutes Eddie laid on a defence splitting pass, which Chris collected and converted for his hat-trick. Eleven minutes later Wealdstone scored a quick succession of goals. Chris dribbled into the box past the defender, rounded the ‘keeper and slotted home with his left; Eddie added his second; Omari’s endeavour was rewarded and Haris rifled a shot from twenty-five yards into the top corner that would vie for goal of the season. There followed a brief respite in which Forest snatched a second from a goal-mouth scramble but this was answered on sixty-seven minutes by Dharren Nimalan who wrapped up the scoring.

Wealdstone 8 v 3 Ealing Shamrock Sunday 5^th January 2003 HYFL Div 2.

Despite the short notice (only told the previous day), no match since 17th November and no training over the Christmas break the boys turned in a creditable performance and got their New Year off to a flying start. Lack of match fitness showed in the first half. Having opened the scoring in the first minute when Haris Adu finished from a one on one with the keeper, Wealdstone had to come from behind twice to go in level on 3 - 3 at half time. On four minutes Wealdstone were caught out by a long ball over the top and the Ealing forward put the ball through the keeper's legs. Then on ten minutes confusion in the midfield from a throw-in on the halfway line allowed Ealing far too much time to control, pass and finish to take the lead. Eight minutes later Chris Paraskevas was able to level the score from Andrew Mawby's corner kick. Wealdstone were punished again on the half hour when another through ball led to another one on one with the keeper and the striker despatched his shot into the bottom corner to regain the lead for Ealing. Buoyed by this success Ealing enjoyed their best spell of the match and looked to extend their lead before half time but were denied by two crucial saves by Alex Irani. Wealdstone were awarded an indirect free kick just before the break which Chris Paraskevas managed to deflect past the keeper to restore parity. In the second half Wealdstone raised the tempo and their passing game began to click. On 42 minutes Haris ran with the ball down the wing, dribbled into the penalty area and finished from a tight angle. Two minutes later Eddie Egan picked out a perfect pass to Chris who made a run on goal; his shot rebounded off the keeper but Chris controlled the ball well, took it round a covering defender and poked it home for his hat-trick. On fifty-one minutes Haris found the net from the edge of a crowded penalty area to complete his hat-trick. Four minutes later Eddie made a surging run into the box and was brought down while rounding the keeper. Wealdstone goalkeeper Alex Irani stepped up and converted from the spot. Finally on sixty-two minutes new signing Nick Todd opened his account to wrap up the scoring.

Ruislip Rangers 2 v 3 Wealdstone Sunday 17^th November 2002 HYFL Div 2.

Wealdstone returned to form and played some exquisite football in a close game with Ruislip Rangers B. Wealdstone went on the offensive straight from the kick off, shooting at every opportunity. After nine minutes Haris crossed from the wing, a little too close to the keeper, who tried to clear but only as far as Alex Nichols who returned the ball to the net for Wealdstone’s opener. Nine minutes later Kyle’s volley from a corner was only just wide. Ruislip were able opponents and conjured chances of their own and levelled on twenty-one minutes with a high lofted shot from the edge of the penalty area that sailed agonisingly out of Alex Irani’s reach into the top corner of the goal. Just before the break Tom Watson’s throw reached Chris Paraskevas who flicked the ball to Eddie Egan in the middle of the park who in turn drove the ball on the half-volley from twenty-five yards into the roof of the net to put Wealdstone ahead at half time. Wealdstone began the second half as they had the first and eight minutes in Haris Adu played a perfectly weighted ball forward for Chris to collect and take toward goal. With defenders closing fast, Chris kept his cool and deftly lifted the ball over the on-rushing ‘keeper into the vacant net. Ruislip worked hard to get themselves back in the game and the Wealdstone defence and midfield had to combine well to repel Ruislip’s attacks. Alex Irani made a vital save to turn a low, powerfully driven shot round the post. On sixty-three minutes Ruislip’s persistence paid off as they clawed one back when a goal kick fell short to a Ruislip forward. Wealdstone locked up shop for the remaining seven minutes and Omari Adjei-Dawkins and Dharren Nimalan used all their dribbling tricks to keep possession and deny Ruislip any further chances.

Bessingby Park Rangers 7 v 3 Wealdstone Sunday 10^th November 2002 HYFL Div 2

Valiant midfield play was not enough for Wealdstone U13s to overcome the adverse conditions they faced in their encounter with Bessingby Park Rangers. Seven minutes into the game, a defensive error allowed Bessingby’s winger a run on goal and ‘keeper Alex Irani was adjudged to have brought him down in an attempt to gather the ball: Bessingby scored from the penalty spot. After a further seven minutes, failure to play to the whistle following an apparent foul cost Wealdstone another goal. Undeterred Wealdstone battled on and reduced the deficit to one on twenty minutes when Eddie Egan’s powerful shot hit the post, the rebound fell to Omari Adjei-Dawkins whose shot was then parried by the ‘keeper but only to Chris Paraskevas who followed up for the tap in. 1 – 2 down at half time Wealdstone went in search of the equaliser but were caught napping and conceded straight from the kick off. Wealdstone’s defences were breached twice more on forty-five and fifty-five minutes by long balls over the top which resulted in a two v one on our ‘keeper. Wealdstone then laid siege on Bessingby’s goal but all attempts to score were thwarted by their ‘keeper until the sixtieth minute, in the melee that ensued from a corner, Chris managed a cheeky back heel into the net from two yards. With time running out Wealdstone were desperately chasing the game and twice more Bessingby employed their long ball tactic to race past the stretched defence and score on sixty-seven and sixty-nine. Omari weaved a little of his magic and scored a consolation goal in the final minute.

Greenford Celtic 1 v 7 Wealdstone Sunday 3^rd November 2002 Harrow League Cup 1^st round.

Wealdstone bounced back from their County Cup exit with a fine display of football that took them through to the next round of the League Cup. The work put in on the training ground paid off as Wealdstone closed Greenford down rapidly and kept their players under pressure. After three minutes Wealdstone were awarded a free kick ten yards out from the penalty area. Andy Mawby stepped up and curled the ball into the net to give Wealdstone the lead. Five minutes later Alex Nichols was floored just outside the penalty area, picked himself up and fired home from the resultant free kick. Wealdstone continued to contain the play to Greenford’s half, kept and passed the ball well. It was from one of these moves that Eddie Egan worked the ball through to Omari Adjei-Dawkins on the wing, who took the ball to the goal line and crossed to Andy who popped the ball into the vacant goal for his second and put Wealdstone 3 – 0 up at the break. Five minutes into the second half Greenford were reduced to ten players as they had no substitute to replace an injured player. Wealdstone continued to dominate and scored twice more on forty-three minutes from Alex Nichols and on forty-eight minutes from Omari Adjei-Dawkins on his debut. Greenford kept plugging away and were rewarded on fifty-four minutes when their centre forward made a great solo run from the half-way line and finished from a one-on-one with our keeper. Alex Irani did well, took up a good position, spread himself and managed to get a touch with his outstretched leg but unfortunately not enough to prevent the ball rolling into the corner of the net. Haris then regained the initiative and scored two good individual goals, dribbling past defenders to create the openings, on sixty-one and sixty-nine minutes to wrap things up for Wealdstone.

Wealdstone 1 v 13 Belmont Utd Sunday 13^th October 2002 MCC 1^st round

Wealdstone knew that they would be facing a stiff test when they were drawn against last season’s Premier Division runners-up. The home side tried to play a high defensive line but unfortunately that was breached four times in the first ten minutes. Full marks to Belmont who passed the ball well and were quick to close down the Wealdstone players. Belmont’s finishing was clinical and they scored another four before the break. Wealdstone raised their game for the second half and had greater control of midfield. A number of Wealdstone players more than held their own in the various individual contests that took place, but it was in the team play that Belmont were superior. Their forwards made the most of any opportunity and scored five more. Wealdstone never let their heads drop and in the sixty-sixth minute their perseverance was rewarded. Haris Adu broke from the half-way line and raced down the wing, skipped over two sliding tackles, turned towards goal and drove the ball low past the ‘keeper. Although the final score was pretty emphatic in Belmont’s favour, there were a number of positive points to take from the match. Belmont exposed weaknesses in Wealdstone’s game that the players will work on during their training sessions.

Wealdstone 4 v 4 Larkspur Rovers A Sunday 6^th October 2002 HYFL Div 2

Both sides started brightly in a keenly contested match. The visitors opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a well struck shot from the edge of the penalty area into the top corner. For the next quarter of an hour both sides created chances in a high tempo game. On twenty-one minutes Chris Paraskevas took the ball wide to the left of goal before shooting back with his right. The shot was blocked and the clearance fell to Eddie Egan and his shot was directed into the net by Chris. Four minutes later Eddie latched onto Alex Nichol’s cross field pass and made a darting run down the right into the box. His shot ricocheted off a defender into the goal to give Wealdstone the lead. On the half hour Wealdstone were caught on a two v two break and the Larkspur forward did well to strike under pressure and rifle the ball into the roof of the net to draw level. Two minutes into the second half Larkspur won a corner. The ball dropped to a Larkspur player who was not closed down and allowed to shoot from the six yard box and squeeze the ball between the defenders on the line to put Larkspur in front again. The stamina and fitness of both sides was evident as the game continued at a furious pace. Simon Woods, Callum Nicholas and Lee Britton were rock solid in defence, snuffing out every danger, denying Larkspur time and space on the ball. Simon also made a vital covering run to save off the line. A solitary lapse on fifty-seven minutes when Wealdstone failed to deal with a loose ball in midfield led to a defensive scramble from which Larkspur somehow managed to find the net. Wealdstone, however, were undaunted and launched an all out assault on the Larkspur goal. On sixty minutes Chris, with his back to goal, received the ball from Eddie’s cross, span round the defender and drilled the ball into the net before the ‘keeper could react to pull one back. Then two minutes later Dharren Nimalan, who had been on the prowl all afternoon, made a quick break down the wing, slipped past the defender and tucked the ball beyond the on-rushing ‘keeper to level the score again. Wealdstone were now in the ascendancy and spent the remaining ten minutes trying to snatch the winner, but a shell-shocked Larkspur managed to hold on to the draw.

Ealing Shamrock 3 v 7 Wealdstone Sun 29th Sept 2002 HYFL Div 2

Wealdstone got off to a flying start with a goal after just twenty-six seconds. Dharren Nimalan providing the cross for Chris Paraskevas to knock in. The visitors then applied a sustained period of pressure but failed to capitalise on their chances. Gradually Ealing eased back into the game and after quarter of an hour a lapse in concentration allowed them to equalise. Wealdstone turned up the pressure again and on twenty minutes Dharren took the ball to the goal-line and cut it back for Eddie Egan to slot home. Failing to learn the lesson from the previous week Wealdstone conceded straight from the restart and were still reeling when Ealing scored again a minute later. Kyle McFarlane and Alex Nichols then took charge of the midfield and controlled the pace. There was a prolonged stoppage just before the break while an Ealing player received treatment. Wealdstone retained their alertness and attacked from the drop ball. Haris powered his way through the centre of Ealing’s defence and fired home to level the score. Wealdstone took to the pitch for the second half with a fresh determination and scored four goals in ten minutes to effectively seal the victory. In the thirty-sixth minute Alex Nichols broke through on goal and blasted the ball into the net. A minute later Dharren made sure the ball crossed the line after the ‘keeper failed to control the ball in a goal mouth scramble. On forty-one minutes Kyle delivered a delightful ball from a corner which Alex headed home. Then on forty-five minutes Eddie laid on a perfectly weighted pass which Alex collected and slotted past the hapless ‘keeper. By now Wealdstone were in total domination and played out the rest of the game passing the ball around comfortably.

Wealdstone 2 v 5 Ruislip Rangers ‘B’ Sun 22nd Sept 2002 HYFL Div 2

A disappointing result for the Stones in what was a fairly even contest. The difference between the sides was Ruislip’s ability to finish their goal scoring chances whereas Wealdstone, although they had more shots on target, couldn’t find a way past the Ruislip ‘keeper. Ruislip opened the scoring after seven minutes with a powerfully struck shot. For the next quarter of an hour Wealdstone worked hard passing the ball well and were finally rewarded when Alex Nichols broke through the Ruislip defence and fired home from twelve yards. Unfortunately Wealdstone let their guard down and allowed Ruislip to score from the restart. Eddie Egan came on for Andrew Mawby and injected fresh impetus to Wealdstone’s game. On twenty-five minutes his well struck shot on the end of a great solo run was equalled by an outstanding save from the ‘keeper, who turned the ball round the post. The team continued to work hard, but gaps began to appear in midfield and defence as players tired. On thirty-one minutes a stretched defence conceded a tap-in at the back post from a low cross. 1 – 3 down at half time the boys took to the field with renewed vigour for the second half, certain that they could pull back the deficit. On fifty-three minutes one of Ruislip’s forwards went down in the box and they scored from the resultant spot kick. But credit to Wealdstone, who instead of letting their heads drop, really raised the tempo and laid siege to the Ruislip goal. On fifty-seven minutes Dharren Nimalan weaved and dodged past the Ruislip defenders and neatly tucked the ball in the back of the net. Wealdstone kept up the pressure creating many chances but each time they were denied by the Ruislip ‘keeper. On sixty-three minutes as Wealdstone were chasing the game their defence was out-numbered on a break and Ruislip scored their fifth.

Wealdstone 7 v 2 Bessingby PR Sun 8 Sept 2002 HYFL Div 2

Wealdstone U13s started the season with a 7 – 2 win over fellow promoted rivals Bessingby Park Rangers. Wealdstone dominated the first half with a series of flowing, passing moves. Haris Adu opened the scoring on 5 minutes with a well hit shot from a tight angle. Three minutes later Andrew Mawby fired home from the edge of the penalty area after Chris Paraskevas’ original shot was parried by the ‘keeper. On the quarter hour Alex Nichols blasted the ball into the net from the penalty spot, having been tripped in the box. Two more powerful shots from Haris just inside the penalty area completed his hat-trick and put the home side 5 – 0 up at the break. Bessingby started the second half strongly. In the first ten minutes they had hit the post and ‘keeper Alex Irani had to be alert to save several shots on target. On 47 minutes luck was on Bessingby’s side when the volleyed return from a drop kick looped over the stranded ‘keeper, who despite getting a hand to the ball could not keep it out. Three minutes later Bessingby pulled back another goal with a glancing header from a well struck corner. Eddie Egan and Kyle McFarlane then battled hard in mid-field to relieve the pressure and set up counter attacks. On 56 minutes Simon Woods found the net with a side-footed volley from Andrew Mawby’s well directed corner. Six minutes later Eddie created a quick break, pouncing on a loose ball from a Bessingby corner and sprinting into the opponent’s half split their defence with his pass, which Haris collected and coolly slotted home past the keeper to ensure that the three points went to Wealdstone.