REPORT | EBBSFLEET UNITED 2-2 WEALDSTONE
Wealdstone drop two crucial points to at Ebbsfleet United after a 93rd minute equaliser from Kwame Thomas at the Kuflink Stadium.
First-half injuries to both Mason Barrett and Craig Eastmond left a sour taste going into the second period.
But the Stones kept battling and opened the scoring through a Sam Ashford tap-in, in the 54th minute.
With 20 minutes remaining, an Alex Reid header put the Stones into a well-deserved two goal lead.
The hosts pulled one back against the run of play when Aaron Cosgrave fired a fierce strike past Sam Howes, before Thomas levelled the score in the 93rd minute to send the Stones home with just one point.
Matt Taylor named an unchanged side from the team that beat Braintree Town in midweek. Micah Obiero returned to the bench in place of Dom Hutchinson.
The hosts were the first side to test their luck, an in-swinging ball found Franklin Domi, who couldn’t direct his header past Sam Howes in the Stones goal.
As the half picked up, Taylor’s side were beginning to find a fluid rhythm, finding space in the wide areas and looking to deliver.
Despite their relative dominance in possession, the Stones only real chances of the half both came in the form of long-shots, both from Christian Scott.
Luck this season hasn’t been kind to the Stones this season, and the bad luck continued to plague Taylor’s side in the first half, losing both Craig Eastmond and Mason Barrett to injuries.
Feeling they should have more for their efforts so far, the Stones pushed on for a reward, finding it in the 54th minute when the ball fizzed into the box, finding Ashford to tap home and send the travelling section of Stones fans wild.
Knowing they were in control, Taylor's side continued the pressure on the Ebbsfleet goal, looking to find a second goal that would put them into a strong lead.
Finding more success in the wide areas, Ashford slipped Jaydn Mundle-Smith down the left-flank, who floated a teasing ball into the path of the in-form Reid. He guided his header past Mark Cousins in the 70th minute to score his fifth goal in four games.
The hosts didn’t look to be causing too much trouble for Taylor’s side, but found their way back into the match when Cosgrave capitalised on a defensive error in the 85th minute to pull one back.
With just one minute to go of three minutes added in the match, Ebbsfleet threw one last roll of the dice, launching the ball into the area in hope of one last chance.
The ball bounced around and fell perfectly into the path of Thomas, who smashed his effort towards goal. Howes managed a palm to the ball, but could only push the effort into the side netting with the sheer power of the strike.
The Stones will look to bounce back when they travel to Grimsby in the FA Cup next Saturday at 3pm.
WEALDSTONE: Howes, Cesay, Barrett (Mariappa 35’), Cook, Mundle-Smith, Georgiou, Scott (Boldewijn 45’), Eastmond (Dyer 31‘), Kretzschmar (Obiero 73’), Ashford (Wells-Morrison 86’), Reid.
Attendance: 1,498 (estimated 250 away fans)