REPORT | WEALDSTONE 3-1 SOUTHAMPTON U21s
Wealdstone get their first win in the National League Cup putting three goals past Southampton U21s.
The Stones opened the score just two minutes in, when Sean Adarkwa finished well after being played through one-on-one.
Henry Sandat put the Stones two goals ahead, 32 minutes in, when his flick found the back of the net.
Elliot Thorpe sealed the win with a finely struck effort before the visiting side pulled a goal back from a corner late on.
Matt Taylor made eight changes the side that beat Ebbsfleet at the weekend. Deon Woodman, captain for the night, Jack Wells-Morrison and Anthony Georgiou the only players to keep their place. One trialist made the starting XI with four more on the bench.
A perfect start for the Stones, a scything ball found the run of Adarkwa, who finished calmly one-on-one to put the Taylor's side ahead and score his first goal of the season.
The half continued with the Stones taking relative control, moving the ball wide and looking for that incisive pass to play the forwards in. A few blocked efforts made up the only chances of the half before the Stones found the net once again.
An effort from range flew towards goal, in the 32nd minute, but a deft flick from Sandat converted the ball into the back of the net.
The visitors only real chance in the half came late on, an effort from long-range forcing a comfortable save out of Jacob Adams.
The Stones came out for the second half looking to put the game to bed. Adarkwa almost bagged his second but for a fine last minute block from a Saints defender.
But the game would eventually be out of reach for the visitors, in the 52nd minute, when the ball fell kindly to Thorpe on the edge of the area.
His perfect touch set himself to strike cleanly into the bottom corner and put the Stones three goals ahead.
The Saints pulled one back with ten minutes to go, when an in-swinging corner found the run of a Southampton player to tap home at the back post.
Despite the pressure late on from the visitors, the Stones would come away with their first win in the National League Cup.
WEALDSTONE: Adams (Trialist 68’), Thorpe (Trialist 61’), Woodman, Mason, Georgiou (Phillips 61’), Wells-Morrison (Cesay 46’), Obiero, Miller, Sandat, Adarkwa (Trialist 68’).