WEALDSTONE’s Wembley dreams live on after Richard Jolly’s double helped them to a third FA Trophy giant-killing against Cambridge.
The Stones striker raised his legend status another notch and this coupled with heroic defending, typified by the magnificent Cronin means Gordon Bartlett’s men are three hours from Wembley and in the hat for Monday’s semi-final draw.
The underdogs made a nervy start with Cambridge forcing two corners inside the first minute, the second of which travelled all the way across the box with no-one able to get the final touch.
However, Stones silenced the home fans on four minutes as they grabbed a shock lead. Cambridge responded with a flowing move from the back Kurtney Brooks found room on the right and when his cross reached Lee Chappell he headed back across the box for Jolly to prod home.
Cambridge responded with a flowing move from back to front which ended with Kevin Roberts’ ball to the far post headed just wide by Harrison Dunk.
Luke Berry saw another effort deflected behind, while Brett Johnson was close with a header and Jonathan North had to be alert to tip over a Liam Hughes shot from Ryan Jackson’s cross from the right.
As the pressure increased Tom Shaw was only denied by Shaun Cronin’s last-ditch block and Adam Marriott shot wide when he should have scored.
However, Dunk left the field with what looked like a hamstring tear and Stones protected their slender lead until the break. Hughes tested North soon after the restart with a shot from long range, and the Stones keeper did swell again just past the hour to deflect Berry’s shot behind.
There was not the head of steam the hosts had in the first half, but ther visitors still struggled to get any consistent possession of the ball.
Alan Massey, given a torrid time by Jackson and on a booking gave way to Hammond and the unthinkable happened in the 69 th minute as Stones doubled the lead.
McCubbin’s tremendous cross-field ball sent Brooks scampering down the right and when his delicious cross in Jolly applied a deadly cross range finish.
The cushion lasted little more than a minute before Cronin was penalised 25 yards out and skipper James Jennings’ superb free-kick left North rooted to the spot.
Stones resisted heroically, but with the hosts running out of ideas and 90 minutes on the clock another free-kick was conceded on the edge.
Jennings again hit it superbly but North arched his back to tip over. Four minutes of stoppage-time followed, but Marriot lashed wildly over and Stones were home.
