ROOKIE JOE HITS TARGET AGAINE FOR STONES

ROOKIE JOE HITS TARGET AGAIN IN VICTORY AT BATH

JOE WHITE is pinching himself over the success of his loan spell at Wealdstone.

The first-year pro at Dagenham slotted home the winner from the spot in Stones’ 2-1 victory at bogey side Bath City on Saturday for a fifth goal in his last seven games.

The youngster admits he’s getting a whirlwind education in the art of being a striker from Stones’ veteran player-coach Scott McGleish, which he hopes will fast track him when he returns to Daggers’ ranks

Unsurprisingly, he is enjoying his first chance to graduate from youth football.

“If someone had said to me I’ll get five in seven games I wouldn’t have believed them,” he said.

“With this being my first taste of men’s football, I’d definitely have taken that.

“I’m looking and learning off Scotty in terms of how he moves on the pitch. Even as he gets older you can still see the movement and his knowledge of the game in terms of what to do and what not to do.

“And Gordon Bartlett has just told me to enjoy my football, because if you are happy you are going to play well.”

White believes the biggest lesson he has learned so far about making the step up is the need to concentrate from the first minute to last as there are no breathing spaces when you are playing with the big boys.

“It is tough and it is going to be a battle 24/7, that’s why you have got to work hard all the time,” he added.

“In kids’ football, as we might call it, you can step off it a bit every now and then.

“You can’t do that here and that is a big learning thing for me – but I’m enjoying it.”

Meanwhile, Hayes & Yeading’s hopes of pulling off a great escape from the Southern League Premier relegation zone took a turn for the better on Friday night as they beat St Neots 2-0 thanks to first half goals from Connor Toomey and Thomas Broadbent.

United remain three points from safety, but have a game in hand over the two sides immediately above them, Cirencester and Kings Langley.

In Evo-Stik Southern Central action, Abobaker Eisa’s double saw Uxbridge beat Chalfont St Peter 2-0, a third league win on the spin for the men of Honeycroft.

By contrast, it is seven league defeats in a row now for Northwood after they conceded a 90th minute winner at Kidlington.

There was better news for both Harefield and Hillingdon in Spartan Division One as they won 4-0 and 2-0 against Hatfield and Arlesey Town Reserves respectively.

AFC Hayes also bagged three points in the Combined Counties Premier, beating Windsor 2-1.