HORSHAM 0 Wealdstone 2
A2B Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing
Attendance: 193
Wednesday 19th November 2008
Ryman League Premier Division
Referee: Mr T Robinson

HORSHAM

WEALDSTONE

1.Rob Tolfrey
2.Lee Carey (Nwachukwu,78)
3.Mark Knee
4.Tony Acheampong
5.Sam Page
6.Lee Farrell
7.Jacob Mingle
8.Russell Eldridge
9.Evan Archibald (Haddow,57)
10.Jean Michel Sigere
11.Gary Charman
Subs:
12.Alex Haddow
14.Michael Dale
15.Tony Nwachukwu
16.Ian Payne
17.Rob Frankland
 

1 Sean Thomas
2 Carl Martin
3 Lee Chappell
4 James Gray (Haule,45)
5 Alan Massey
6 Ryan Ashe
7 Kieron Forbes
8 Chris O'Leary
9 Darren Locke
10 Marvin Sordell (McCoy,79)
11 Graeme Montgomery (Clarke,82)
Subs:
12 Davis Haule
14 Luke Woods
15 Marvin McCoy
16 Ben Clarke
17 Danny Spendlove

Goalscorers:
Sordell (7)
Haule (77)

Reporter: Mark Wells
Photographs: John Lines and Damian Carter
Match highlights: here

Goals from Marvin Sordell and Davis Haule earned in-form Wealdstone a 5th successive league victory with a solid display at Woodside Road. The Hornets rarely threatened their opponents' goal during the second period and were made to regret a number of wasted opportunities during the latter stages of the first half in which Jean-Michel Sigere and Gary Charman both had the chance to cancel out Sordell's 7th minute opener and there was no way back for the home side when substitute Haule headed home, 13 minutes from time.

John Maggs named an unchanged team from that which kept a second successive clean sheet in Saturday's 2-0 win at Boreham Wood with Alex Haddow remaining on the bench alongside Michael Dale for whom Tom Graves' return to Lewes gave the teenager his first squad appearance for a month.

Backed by a small, yet vocal, band of supporters Wealdstone made the early breakthrough when Sordell followed up his goal against Margate at the weekend by running at the defence and beating Rob Tolfrey at his near post. Horsham nearly produced an instant riposte when a clever flick from Sigere sent Evan Archibald through on goal but his scuffed shot lacked the power to beat Sean Thomas who made a comfortable save. Darren Locke was inches away from converting Lee Chappell's free-kick before the visitors had the ball in the net again when Sordell's acrobatic overhead kick rounded off a sweeping move but the striker had strayed fractionally offside and the effort was ruled out.

Within a minute, Charman's tenacity and vision saw him break up a Wealdstone attack on the edge of the Horsham penalty area and set up Sigere with an excellent pass but the Frenchman, having cut back inside, could only hit the ball across the face of goal and the chance was lost. Charman was also involved in the hosts' next attack when he saw his shot deflected behind for a corner and, when the Stones failed to clear Carey's cross, Tony Acheampong laid the ball off for Lee Farrell to fire narrowly over the crossbar.

This was unquestionably Horsham's brightest period of the game but, after Carey had sliced a 25 yarder horribly off target, Graeme Montgomery reminded Horsham that it takes two to make a game of football when he collected a throw-in and shot just past the far upright.

Mark Knee's clumsy challenge on James Gray saw Ryan Ashe's free-kick fall to Alan Massey but the centre-half, unmarked inside the penalty area, could only flash a volley across the face of the goal and harmlessly behind for a goal-kick. The Hornets were beginning to wobble and an underhit backpass from Jacob Mingle brought Tolfrey dashing from his line to hoof clear but his next clearance, under pressure from Sordell, fell invitingly for Montgomery whose first time shot fell wide of the unguarded net.

Sam Page was justly cautioned for a tackle from behind on Sordell and the skipper had his goalkeeper to thank when the excellent Kieron Forbes played Ashe in on goal but Tolfrey spread himself well to block the shot. It was Horsham who were arguably playing the more attractive football as the first half drew to a close but they were unable to get close enough to their opponents' goal, thanks to the hard working Wealdstone midfield. An equaliser looked on the cards, though, when Charman beat Carl Martin with a low cross that was dummied by Mingle but the stretching Sigere was agonisingly short of connecting with the ball.

Horsham almost paid the price for pushing too many players forward in search of the equaliser when a quick breakaway by Chappell resulted in Forbes bearing down on goal but the midfielder dallied on his shot, allowing Acheampong to clear his shot away from danger. The Hornets continued to enjoy the best of the possession and Sigere's decision to pass to Archibald, rather than shoot at goal, appeared the wrong one as a defender got back to clear before Charman brought the half to a close when he headed Mingle's cross into the advertising hoardings at the side of the goal.

H/T Horsham 0 Wealdstone 1

Wealdstone made a switch at the start of the second half with Haule replacing the injured Gray and the recent signing from Staines Town was soon in the thick of things as one of several Stones players who caused confusion in the Hornets' penalty area following a long throw before Charman was able to run the ball out of trouble.

A sloppy pass from Russell Eldridge was easily cut out in midfield by Forbes and the pacy number 7 raced clear on goal, only prevented from troubling Tolfrey by a timely block from Page. A long ball out of defence saw Thomas advance smartly off his line to head clear ahead of Archibald before the striker was replaced by Haddow whose first action was to collect a yellow card for a foul on Forbes.

Montgomery was a willing outlet for the Stones on the left hand side and another incisive attack saw his cross fall for Forbes who struck a rising volley well over the crossbar from the edge of the box. Tolfrey was tested, soon after, when Montgomery was allowed to run unchecked before stinging the 'keeper's palms with a firm drive that the travelling fans felt was destined for the back of the net.

Now it was the visitors' turn to enjoy some sustained pressure and another left sided attack saw Montgomery link up well with Forbes to create a chance for Sordell that was well held by Tolfrey, low at his near post. Sigere came close to forcing home the equaliser when Knee's cross wasn't dealt with by the Wealdstone defence and his quick turn and shot was blocked by the boot of Locke, just yards from the line.

Moments later, it was 2-0 when Sordell turned on the halfway line and went off on a run down the right flank before sending in a deflected cross that was nodded home at the near post by Haule for his second goal in as many games for the Middlesex club. Maggs immediately sent on Tony Nwachukwu for Carey, and manager Gordon Bartlett replied in kind for the visitors by replacing Sordell with Ben Clarke, but it was the Horsham substitute who almost made the most telling contribution taking two bites of the cherry before smashing his shot wide of the goal.

Another change, that saw Montgomery withdrawn in favour of Danny Spendlove, ate up a few more minutes for the Stones and Charman's frustrations resulted in a lecture from referee Robinson. Ashe's cheeky free-kick was kept out by the sprawling Tolfrey and Charman almost salvaged some late pride for the home side with a header that drifted wide but it was not to be as the visitors saw out the remaining minutes without further scare to leave Maggs the task of picking up his players ahead of Saturday's match against AFC Hornchurch.

NEXT MATCH: v AFC Hornchurch (h) Saturday 22nd November ko 3pm