REPORT | GRIMSBY TOWN 0-1 WEALDSTONE

Wealdstone are through to the second round of the FA Cup after a dramatic last minute winner from Alex Reid at Blundell Park.

Grimsby Town dominated the first-half, but the Stones came out a much stronger outift in the second period.

Reid tapped home in the area with just seconds left of normal time, making it six goals for the club since joining just over a month ago.

Matt Taylor made two changes to the side that drew with Ebbsfleet United last week. Adrian Mariappa and Enzio Boldewijn came in for the injured Mason Barrett and Craig Eastmond. Sean Adarkwa returned to the bench for the first time this season, having picked up an injury in pre-season.

The hosts set the pace in the half early, and were rewarded for their pressure in the 10th minute when they were awarded a penalty for a late foul in the box.

Obwiku stepped up to take the spot-kick, but smacked his effort onto the post to give the Stones a life-line in the game.

Grimsby kept up their pressure despite the missed penalty and looked destined to take the lead not long after when a looping ball forced a spectacular diving reflex save from Sam Howes.

The Stones went into the break knowing that their first-half performance could have been better with Taylor bringing on Jack Wells-Morrison for Christian Scott at the break to switch things up.

As such, the Stones looked a much more dangerous unit during the second-half, taking the game to Grimsby for the majority of the 45 minutes.

Again finding space down the wide areas, Kallum Cesay and Anthony Georgiou both looked especially lively down the flanks.

With the Stones upping the pressure, Georgiou broke down the left, 66 minutes in, finding Sam Ashford in the area, who’s goal-bound effort looked destined to go in, had it not been for a last minute block from a Grimsby defender.

Despite the Stones dominance during the second-half, the hosts were still able to create one strong chance, 80 minutes in, when a looping ball found striker Danny Rose, who’s flicked header fizzed narrowly past Howes’ goal and just wide.

With the game in the dying embers and looking destined for extra-time, the Stones threw one last roll of the dice.

As the lively Cesay went down in the area, his trailing leg somehow managed to flick the ball into the path of Reid, who poked the ball through Jordan Wright’s legs to send the travelling Stones faithful into absolute ecstasy.

With the Stones in the hat for the second round of the FA Cup, they will find out their fate on Sunday 3rd November at 7:45pm on BBC Two when the draw takes place.

WEALDSTONE XI: HOWES (GK), Cook, Mariappa, Mundle-Smith, Cesay, Boldewijn (Obiero 85’), Scott (Wells-Morrison 45’), Georgiou, Kretzschmar (Adarkwa 69’), Ashford, Reid.