STONES ROCKED BY ANTONIO SHOW
It was all change at Ruislip Manor last
night as Billy Smith handed debuts to three players. Andrew
Howell is a 19 year old with a reputation as a no-nonsense
left back who graduated from the same QPR academy as Aaron
Goode. Both, incidentally, spent time with Wealdstone
last season. Stuart Myall left Horsham in the summer and
has been regaining his fitness in the reserves. Having made
his name in midfield, he was deployed at the back by the
Hornets and played in last seasons epic cup run. Restored to
the centre of the park Myall worked tirelessly to provide the
vital link between Goode and the inspired McLeod. But
the pick of the new crop proved to be the homegrown Michael
Antonio, a box of fireworks who has been set of on his senior
career in style. It was not just the personnel that was
aberrant as. for the first time this season, the side lined up
in 442 formation.
The home team started with both the
significant slope and a strong chilling breeze in their favour
and created a couple of early half chances, but their main
tactic involved the use of height and distance. McLeod,
relieved of some of his 'enforcer' duties, used the
opportunity to show his creative side with a range of
exquisite passes and goal attempts which he first displayed in
the 7th minute with a powerful shot from outside the box that
Thomas did well to turn around the post.
Pitterson was given a starting opportunity
after scoring his first club goal on Saturday and with Antonio
gave the Terrors real width which constantly worried the home
defence. Antonio, fast as a rocket and more slippery than an
oil drum full of eels, beat defenders for fun, charging for
the goal line or checking and cutting infield leaving
defenders trailing in his wake. In the 19th minute Paul Vines
released him on one such run, this time he took the inside
channel forcing the keeper to bravely save at his feet.
McLeod then lined Vines up for a follow up shot.
Another Antonio cross found Pitterson at the
back post, but his accurate downward header was well saved on
the bounce. From this Wealdstone broke quickly through the
impressive Clarke, but he was stopped in his tracks
with another illegal Joe Vines intervention. This was
frustrating for many reasons, not just because there were
three men back to cover the break, not just because his habit
of failing to check his runs and bundling into the back of
opponents has been well and truly sussed by referees, but
mainly because the inevitable card that he received brings him
once more within touching distance of a lengthy
ban.
Half Time
0 - 0
The pace stepped up after the break, Tooting
putting some good passing movements together whist Wealdstone
predominately sought out Clarke. The Antonio show got its
first ovation after 67 minutes when he checked another surge
down the right flank, giving himself the space to deliver a
low cross which was gleefully picked up by Paul Vines close in
at the back post: 1-0.
Eleven minutes later Arron Goode broke from
the back, finding Pitterson on the left. His chip into the
area was met by Paul Vines' head and placed over the keeper
for 2-0.
McLeod capped his evening with another long
range effort, this time from close to the touchline, which
Woods did well to get his fingertips to. Wealdstone were
still not out of it though and as the clock ran down they
pushed up, coming uncomfortably close with a back post header
from a corner.
The final standing ovation though went to
the man of the moment. Paul Vines applied the lightest
of touches to a cross at the corner of the area, leaving
Antonio free to calmly find the top top of the net, leaving
the keeper floundering.
A full blooded and entertaining game that
simmered, but fortunately never boiled over. Let us never talk
of Chipstead or Walton Casuals again!
|
