RYMAN LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL
Wealdstone 1
Concord Rangers 2
WEALDSTONE suffered semi-final heartbreak for the second successive year after bowing out to Concord in the cruellest possible fashion last night.
For 88-plus minutes Gordon Bartlett’s men played vibrant flowing football and led 1-0 courtesy of a rare header from goalscoring legend Richard Jolly (pictured) and it should have been many more.
However, 12 months on from a gut-wrenching defeat to Lowestoft, the promised road to redemption took the unlikeliest of wrong turns as a late leveller and an extra-time winner sent them down the avenue marked the abyss of disappointment once more.
Both sides suffered disruption to their plans prior to kick-off.
Stones already without Tom Pett and Scott McCubbin lost skipper Wes Parker to a recurrence of his hip injury in the warm-up, meaning Alan Massey allowed to play as part of his dual registration from Conference side Braintree switched to central defence.
For their part, Rangers could not start with prolific striker Tony Stokes, confined to the bench with a virus, while Southend trainee keeper Luke Chambers had been signed on an emergency loan just 24 hours earlier after they lost regular custodian Dale Brightly to a broken hand.
Chambers would turn out to be the hero of the piece – the young keeper may have a long career, but he is unlikely to ever produce what he did for Rangers at The Vale.
Chambers was in the action from the second minute, tipping a corner from the tireless Chappell onto the bar and behind.
It was the first of four occasions on which the hosts struck wood and was the cue for a rampant first quarter in which they should have put the tie to bed.
Chappell’s next set-piece saw arguably man of the match Chris O’Leary head wide when really he should have scored.
Left-back Chappell and Sean Cronin then each tested the young keeper’s powers of shot stopping, before on 19 minutes Chambers produced what is likely to be the save of his career.
Chappell’s trademark long throw found O’Leary’s head and when the midfield enforcer’s effort deflected off a defender a goal seemed certain, only for Chambers to not only keep it out, but somehow claw the ball from behind him up onto the bar and away to safety.
A lull followed before on 39 minutes the hosts were within a whisker of the lead once more.
A free-kick from the right was only half cleared to Dyer whose floated shot struck the bar. Peter Dean’s follow-up had many in the crowd believing he had scored but it was in the side netting.
Re-galvanised Stones struck wood again three minutes later. McGleish did well on the right and when Chappell flicked on is driven cross Dean arrived at the far post only to volley against the bar with Chambers beaten.
At the other end Concord had offered nothing but could have stolen in front when Rikki Banks’ sloppy clearance hit Ben Greenhalgh but bounced back into the grateful keeper’s arms.
The midfielder threatened again in stoppage time with a low shot to which Banks parried to safety.
The visitors started well after the interval and provided the first serious worry for the hosts as Steve King rose above the cover and head powerfully against the bar from a 50th minute free-kick.
Stones were briefly rattled and Banks had his second skittish moment on 57 minutes when he almost threw the ball into his own net.
However, on 62 minutes it was Stones who deservedly took the lead. James Elmes was booked for a foul and when Chappell delivered the perfect set piece Jolly flicked his header into the far corner.
McGleish went close to a second with a header from Chappell’s right-wing corner and with Stones’ tails up once more Jolly then beat the offside and crossed for the former Wycombe striker to hoit a venomous volley destined for the roof of the net until Chambers’ reflexes somehow tipped it onto the woodwork for the fourth time.
The youngster then foiled Dyer with a dive at his feet after good work from O’Leary, but the resulting corner came to nothing.
Rangers threw on Stokes with 15 minutes left and forced a succession of corners in a rare spell of pressure.
Yet Stones might have killed off their rivals when Jolly and McGleish linked well again, but the latter could not get direction of power into his effort on goal.
Nevertheless it seemed the night had been written for Jolly to claim the winner until amid rising tension Concord struck as the clock ticked down.
A free-kick was not properly cleared and when Leon Gordon fired the ball back in. His effort was smuggled off the line but Steve King forced the ball in.
McGleish and Dyer went close in an edgy first extra period, but three minutes after the restart disaster struck.
Greenhalgh pumped another free-kick into the box, King flicked on and when Banks could not hold it Stokes pounced to poke home.
James Hammond was sacrificed as Moore was thrown into the fray, but Stones created nothing as the promotion dream died once more.
