THE STONES qualified for the first round proper of the FA Cup after a spectacular second half performance against Worthing at the Vale.
Gary Waddock made three changes from the side that lost to Yeovil in the league last weekend. Last minute goalkeeper signing Sam Long came in for his debut to replace suspended Dante Baptiste, while Dion Conroy replaced the also suspended Aidan Francis-Clarke. Aaron Henry was the last change to the team, as he came in to replace Olufela Olomola.
The opening stages were cagey, with both teams not posing much of a threat until the 10th minute, when the visitors had the first chance of the game. Razzaq Coleman De-Graft cut inside from the right wing and found Jack Wadham on the edge of the box, whose shot was saved by Long.
Just five minutes later, the Rebels had another opportunity to open the scoring. Goalkeeper Taylor Seymour played a long ball in behind for Ricky Aguiar, who tried to lift a shot over Long, but it was a comfortable catch for the Stones goalkeeper.
The Stones had their first chance and the best chance of the half in the 17th minute. Milton Oni played a pass down the right wing to Fejiri Okenabirhie, who carried the ball into the box and fired a low shot across goal. The goalkeeper was equal to it but parried it into the path of Jack Wells-Morrison, whose rebound could only find the arms of Seymour.
Okenabirhie had another chance just six minutes later, when he got on the end of a free kick into the box. He hit his shot on the half volley but fired just wide of the far post.
The visitors came close again in the 26th minute, when Dom Hutchinson got on the end of a long ball in behind and cut it back to the edge of the box, where Aguiar fired his curled effort over the bar.
Wealdstone had yet another chance in the 39th minute, with Okenabirhie again at the heart of the action. The forward pressed high to win the ball back in a dangerous area, leaving the Stones with a 4v3 opportunity. He opted to go alone and hit a powerful shot from the edge of the box, which was saved by Seymour.
HALF TIME: WEALDSTONE 0-0 WORTHING
After the break, Gary Waddock’s side turned up the intensity and the visitors struggled to play through them, as the Stones kept them in their half and had a half chance, when Wells-Morrison had a shot blocked.
Wealdstone, attacking towards the Stones faithful, then had a scintillating ten-minute spell where they ran away with the game.
In the 54th minute, Ronan Maher scored an incredible goal to give the Stones the lead. Long played a long ball forward, which was held up brilliantly by Luke Norris. He laid it off to Maher on the right edge of the box, who took a touch inside and curled it beyond Seymour’s reach into the far top left corner.
Three minutes later, Okenabirhie finally got his goal to double the lead. The Rebels lost the ball in midfield and appealed for a foul, but the referee waved play on. Okenabirhie found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he calmy slotted the ball into the far bottom corner.
On the hour mark, Wadham had a shot from the edge of the box which deflected and was saved by Long. Just four minutes later, the goalkeeper got a debut assist to help put the game to bed. He played another dangerous long ball forward, which bounced through the Worthing back line and found Norris through on goal.
He showed great composure to take it round the keeper and slot it into the back of the net.
In the 72nd minute, the visitors had a great chance to get a goal back and a much-needed lifeline in the game. A ball over the top found Jordan Young one-on-one with Sam Long, but the keeper rushed out to save Young’s effort. Seconds later, Emmerson Sutton put a dangerous low ball across the edge of the box, but Charlie Waller’s first-time effort flew over the Rebel’s away end.
The Stones started to reassert their threat in the 84th minute, when the fresh legs of Olomola was played in down the right wing before his shot was blocked. From the subsequent corner, Norris had a chance to grab his second goal of the game. He picked up the loose ball on the edge of the box after a headed clearance, turned his defender and tried to bend it into the far top corner, but it clipped the top of the crossbar.
The Stones remained solid and saw out the game, securing a clean sheet and making sure their name will be in the hat for the FA Cup first round draw.
FULL TIME- WEALDSTONE 3-0 WORTHING
Wealdstone: Long, Chesters (Newton 36), Conroy (Newton 73), McAvoy (Cook 56), Kanu, Wells-Morrison, Oni, Henry, Maher (Olomola 81), Okenabirhie, Norris
Subs not used: Searle, Kaunda
Clapton Community Reserves Wealdstone Women
October 18, 2026
2 pm
