DEFT BUBB HELPS THE STONES TO VICTORY

WEALDSTONE 2 HAMPTON & RICH B 1

WEALDSTONE gave a Non-League Day crowd of 1163 plenty to celebrate in a game that saw all goals come in the first 18 minutes.

Wealdstone raced into a spectacular lead after one minute when Fumnaya Shomotun beat four Beavers defenders, giving an onrushing David Pratt the chance to power a header past Tom Lovelock.

This set the tone for the first half with the home side dominant and overwhelming a shellshocked Hampton side who had not lost away from home this season.

Stones should have doubled the lead after eight minutes when Freddie Grant was brought down in the box by Casey Maclaren, but Danny Green’s penalty was saved by Lovelock.

The hosts kept attacking however as Bradley Bubb doubled the lead with a cheeky backheel.

But the Beavers were back in it against the run of play, with the unmarked Maclaren calmly slotting past Jon North after 18 minutes.

Stones should have been out of sight by the break but had to be alert in the second half, though they looked home and dry on 65 minutes when Maclaren saw red for a studs-up challenge on Godfrey Poku.

North then saved brilliantly from Dickson with eight minutes remaining but the home side did enough to hold on against ten men.

STAR MAN: David Pratt (W’stone) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★