Post by Hatboy on Feb 27, 2015 18:17:11 GMT
Wealdstone (H) Match Preview
Written by Tom Norman
This Saturday we welcome Wealdstone back to Clarence Park for the first time in a League match since the 1971 Isthmian League, when we defeated the Stones 5-0 at Clarence Park. Maybe we will be lucky to see a repeat of such a result tomorrow.
However, we have already hosted Wealdstone this season, having played the team from Ruislip in the FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round in late November. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, before Wealdstone eventually progressed with a comfortable 3-0 win over the Saints in the replay at Grosvenor Vale three days later.
Like City, the Stones had a very successful season last term, as they were promoted from the Ryman Premier into the Conference South having won the division with ease, eleven points ahead of second placed side Kingstonian.
With such an impressive promotion last season, Wealdstone went into the current season with high expectations following their most successful season in recent memory.
However, the Royals found Conference South life a bit more difficult to adjust to, and went their opening nine matches without a win, before eventually picking up their first three points of the season when they defeated Whitehawk away from home.
Since that victory, Wealdstone began to turn things around, and more recently have started to look like an established Conference South team, and are themselves within touching distance of the top ten, having picked up 39 points so far this season, one more point than the Saints.
In their last five league outings, the Stones have lost just once, with that defeat coming at the hands of Weston-Super-Mare. Victories over relegation threatened Staines Town and Hayes & Yeading came before the Grosvenor Vale side drew with Hemel Hempstead Town last Tuesday at Vauxhall Road.
Of course, we have already taken on tomorrow's opponents in the League this season, with the Saints visiting North West London in September, and it ended in an impressive 3-0 win for the Saints. However, since that win, the gap between ourselves and the Stones has clearly closed up, and this afternoon's affair is not likely to see such a chasm between the two sides.
City, meanwhile, have had an inconsistent few weeks in terms of results, having picked up three draws and two defeats since our last league victory, which came in a 2-0 win over Concord Rangers in mid-January. While these results have been disappointing on the whole, draws with promotion chasing Havant and Basingstoke Town demonstrates that there is some positive signs in recent results.
In our last league outing, City fell to a 2-1 defeat against Whitehawk, on a very difficult playing surface and in some difficult playing conditions. That loss came despite an improved Saints performance, so the squad will be looking to make amends when we welcome the Stones.
Tomorrow's fixture sees a number of ex-Wealdstone players in the City squad take on their former side, while joint manager Jimmy Gray is also facing one of the many clubs he use to play for, which should guarantee a few interest story lines come kick-off.
Gray, along with Graham Golds, will be looking to turn around the current run of five games without victory, and will be hoping to have an almost fully fit squad available for this fixture. With so many connections between the Saints and Wealdstone, the management team will be hoping to have the bragging rights come 5pm.
www.sacfc.co.uk/index.php/teams/first-team/news-reports/2977-wealdstone-h-match-preview.html
Written by Tom Norman
This Saturday we welcome Wealdstone back to Clarence Park for the first time in a League match since the 1971 Isthmian League, when we defeated the Stones 5-0 at Clarence Park. Maybe we will be lucky to see a repeat of such a result tomorrow.
However, we have already hosted Wealdstone this season, having played the team from Ruislip in the FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round in late November. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, before Wealdstone eventually progressed with a comfortable 3-0 win over the Saints in the replay at Grosvenor Vale three days later.
Like City, the Stones had a very successful season last term, as they were promoted from the Ryman Premier into the Conference South having won the division with ease, eleven points ahead of second placed side Kingstonian.
With such an impressive promotion last season, Wealdstone went into the current season with high expectations following their most successful season in recent memory.
However, the Royals found Conference South life a bit more difficult to adjust to, and went their opening nine matches without a win, before eventually picking up their first three points of the season when they defeated Whitehawk away from home.
Since that victory, Wealdstone began to turn things around, and more recently have started to look like an established Conference South team, and are themselves within touching distance of the top ten, having picked up 39 points so far this season, one more point than the Saints.
In their last five league outings, the Stones have lost just once, with that defeat coming at the hands of Weston-Super-Mare. Victories over relegation threatened Staines Town and Hayes & Yeading came before the Grosvenor Vale side drew with Hemel Hempstead Town last Tuesday at Vauxhall Road.
Of course, we have already taken on tomorrow's opponents in the League this season, with the Saints visiting North West London in September, and it ended in an impressive 3-0 win for the Saints. However, since that win, the gap between ourselves and the Stones has clearly closed up, and this afternoon's affair is not likely to see such a chasm between the two sides.
City, meanwhile, have had an inconsistent few weeks in terms of results, having picked up three draws and two defeats since our last league victory, which came in a 2-0 win over Concord Rangers in mid-January. While these results have been disappointing on the whole, draws with promotion chasing Havant and Basingstoke Town demonstrates that there is some positive signs in recent results.
In our last league outing, City fell to a 2-1 defeat against Whitehawk, on a very difficult playing surface and in some difficult playing conditions. That loss came despite an improved Saints performance, so the squad will be looking to make amends when we welcome the Stones.
Tomorrow's fixture sees a number of ex-Wealdstone players in the City squad take on their former side, while joint manager Jimmy Gray is also facing one of the many clubs he use to play for, which should guarantee a few interest story lines come kick-off.
Gray, along with Graham Golds, will be looking to turn around the current run of five games without victory, and will be hoping to have an almost fully fit squad available for this fixture. With so many connections between the Saints and Wealdstone, the management team will be hoping to have the bragging rights come 5pm.
www.sacfc.co.uk/index.php/teams/first-team/news-reports/2977-wealdstone-h-match-preview.html