Wealdstone 2 Margate 0

Wealdstone stopped the rot with a performance that was as cool as it was calculated against a side they had failed to beat on home soil since the 1981/82 season.

The visitors had a goal wrongly ruled out shortly before half time and boss Gordon Bartlett said that was the turning point which swung things in his side's favour.

Bartlett's men finally chalked up a Ryman Premier League win at the fourth attempt during a torrid February which has derailed their promotion charge.

This win, courtesy of second half goals from Davis Haule and super-sub Callum Martin, was comfortable in the end but they really should have racked up several more goals against a Margate side that faded in the second half.

"They had the better of the first half and had the goal been allowed just before half time it might have been a different story," said the Stones boss.

"I could not see anything wrong with it but sometimes you get these decisions go for you and sometimes you don't.

"In the second half there was only ever one side in it [2014] we showed a lot

more passion, determination and improved energy levels."

Bartlett recalled midfielder David Hicks from his loan spell at Chesham United after regular starter Ryan Ashe was ruled out with a virus, while Ben Alexander was handed his first start since December in place of hamstring victim Greg Ngoyi.

"I went to watch Hicksy recently and I thought he was excellent," added the manager.

"I decided I was going to bring him back, but not neccessarily for the Margate game. But he won a lot of tackles in the game, particularly in the second half, and some of his passing was excellent.

"He doesn't panic on the ball, has belief in his own ability and the loan spell suited everybody."

Danny Spendlove continues to grow in stature with every game but Bartlett thinks he still has a bit to do before he is the finished article.

"He needs to be a little bit stronger and we need more end product from him.

"I rate him highly as he can ghost past players and moves so smoothly. I must also mention Carl Martin, who I thought was oustanding. He went on a great run for the first goal and we're encouraging him to do that more as we know he can cause oppos

ing players all sorts of problems."

Sean Thomas easily dealt with an early Ryan Peters shot before Lee Chappell tried his luck from distance as both sides probed for an opening.

Margate goalkeeper Pat Mullin was then alert to Kieron Forbes' cross-cum-shot that almost crept in at the near post, and then lively former Brentford striker Peters fired a stinging shot across Thomas's goal after being put through by Joe Taylor, one of two 17 year olds in the visitor's starting XI.

James Gray was left dazed by a fiercely-struck Wayne Wilson volley that struck the Stones skipper on the head before Alexander had an effort ruled out after he strayed off-side latching on to Spendlove's pass.

After 35 minutes Peters carved through the home defence and lobbed the on-rushing Thomas only to see his goal-bound shot hacked away by Chappell.

From the resulting corner Peters peeled off his marker and flashed a bullet header towards the top left corner of the Stones goal, but Thomas expertly tipped the ball over the bar.

Alexander and Massey had shots go wide and deflected respectively before the Stones were let off the hook thanks to a refereeing gaffe. Margate defender James Gregory

headed home unchallenged in first half stoppage time, yet referee Adrian Gillett ruled it out for a foul on Stones stopper Thomas that no-one else in the ground saw.

The hosts came out fired up for the second half, their determination to break the deadlock underlined by early efforts from Spendlove and Hicks either side of a Taylor shot for the visitors, which trickled just inches wide of the target.

Forbes, who played the second half with his left wrist stapped up after falling on it earlier in the game, was then booked for a needless challenge before Stones opened the scoring after 55 minutes.

Defender Carl Martin went on a mazy 50 yard run down the right flank before threading the ball through for Spendlove.

However, the winger dawdled on the ball for too long and was tackled, yet the ball merely fell into the path of Haule, who ghosted in from the left before placing a composed shot past Mullin with the outside of his right foot.

Hicks picked up a booking after an altercation with Joe Healy while the Margate management team of former Wales national team boss Terry Yorath and ex-Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall made a rash of substitutions in a bid to stay in the game.

Stones made one change of their own, with Callum Martin replacing Haule after 75 minutes, and it proved to be an inspired switch. The rangy striker timed his run to perfection before unleashing an unstoppable volley past Mullin with only his second touch.

It should have been 3-0 minutes later but Alexander missed a sitter that he had no right to get to in the first place.

Martin, buoyed by his lavish strike, hared down on goal again but, after rounding Mullin, tried to dribble the ball into the net only for Margate to get numbers back on the goal-line.

The ball was eventually squared to the on-rushing Alexander, but he blazed his shot well over with the goal at his mercy.

Wealdstone: Thomas, Carl Martin, Chappell, Gray (cpt), Massey, Hicks, Forbes, O'Leary, Haule (Callum Martin, 75), Alexander, Spendlove (Jones, 90).