REPORT | SOLIHULL MOORS 1-1 WEALDSTONE
Wealdstone comeback to earn a valuable point on the road in a tough game against Solihull Moors.
The home side took the lead just before the break when James Gale towered over the Stones defence from a corner to head past Archie Matthews.
The scores were level on 56 minutes when Enzio Boldewijn's cross deflected into the back of the net.
Matt Taylor made just two changes to the side that beat AFC FYLDE a week ago, switching up the midfield pairing of Luke Dreher and Yacou Traore and replacing them with Alex Dyer and Christian Scott.
The hosts started the game well and were the first team create a chance in the match, eight minutes in, when Wilkinson's goal-bound effort from inside area took a deflection off Jack Cook and fizzed into the side netting.
The Stones looked to get themselves into the game and test Laurie Walker in the Moors goal. Anthony Georgiou looked to go direct from a free-kick from range, but his effort was held.
Micah Obiero had the Stones best chance of the half when some beautiful interplay saw him slipped through at a tight angle to test Walker with a fierce effort.
But the home side grew into the ascendancy, and found themselves in strong areas to test Archie Matthews in the Stones goal. Wilkinson had two efforts well-saved by Matthews around the thirty minute mark, making the Stones no.1 dive low to stop the home side taking the lead.
With the Stones holding on, a loose back-pass saw Gale played through on goal with all the time in the world. When he opted to take his eventual effort at goal, Matthews was on hand to make himself big and send the ball out for a corner.
Despite the efforts to keep the ball out of the Stones net, the resulting corner would fly past Matthews as the on-rushing Gale headed to give the home side a deserved lead on the 41 minute mark.
As half-time came around, Taylor decided that changes needed to be made if the Stones were going to get back into the game and opted to bring on two new signings in Jack Wells-Morrison and Callum McFarlane for Scott and Henry Sandat.
And with those changes, the Stones looked a much stronger unit at the start of the second period. A sustained spell of pressure as the half started saw Wealdstone rewarded when Boldewijn's cross deflected past Walker and into the back of the net on 56 minutes.
The game then fell back into the balance, with both sides looking to stay in the game, whilst as trying to take the lead. Gale was next to try his luck again, but Matthews was once again on hand to deny him.
With the game in it's dying embers, it was almost a dream debut for McFarlane when the ball fell to him in the area to get a shot away, but a stretched save from the foot of Walker sent the ball out for a corner rather than nestling into the back of the net.
WEALDSTONE XI: Matthews (GK), Cesay, Cook, Mariappa, Boldewijn, Georgiou (Mason 65'), Dyer, Scott (Wells-Morrison 45'), Sandat, Hutchinson, Sandat (McFarlane 45').