Hadley Wood & Wingate 1 - 1 Belstone

By Nikhil Saglani

Hadley Wood & Wingate were held to a disappointed 1-1 draw at home to Belstone FC on Wednesday night.

The hosts controlled most of the first half, with Gilberto Abril hitting the side netting on six minutes after good work down the right wing. But only a minute later, Hadley Wood went 1-0 up. Jack Read and Charlie Harris interchanged several passes before the latter slid home coolly.

Williams Agyei-Danouah won a free kick for Hadley Wood on 13 minutes in a dangerous position. Elijah Gabsi’s floated ball in was headed as far as Abril, who rifled a shot well over the bar.

The impressive Agyei-Danouah nearly doubled Hadley Wood’s lead when his rifled, left-footed effort from 25 yards out whistled just past the left hand post of Joel Thomas.

The visitors had their first chance on 39 minutes when Darren Turner and Jason Puzey pressed the Hadley Wood centre backs. The latter played in Ross O’Flynn but a superb Brad Marriott sliding tackle denied him a clear effort on goal.

The second half began with a superb chance for the visitors, but Puzey’s header across goal rolled across the face of the goal and was cleared. From the clearance, Read was played in on goal and failed to hit the target from eight yards out, putting his chance agonisingly wide. Substitute Nicholas Kouroushi nearly scored a goal of the season contender when the ball fell to him on the half volley from 25 yards out. He struck a sweet effort towards the top right hand corner of the goal but the ball just evaded the upright.

Read had another chance go just wide when Amon-Walton Owen’s cross found him on the penalty spot, but he could only volley past the right-hand post. Hadley Wood were to rue these missed chances as Belstone found an equaliser with 10 minutes to go. A sloppy free kick was given away and taken short, from which Turner was able to drill home from just inside the area.

Read’s third chance of the game saw him played in by Wilson Chingoka, but he put his 1-on-1 effort inches wide of the same right hand post. The last chance of the game fell to Ben Andreos, but he could only guide his header from Walton-Owen’s cross straight at Thomas.

Hadley Wood & Wingate: Weinrabe, Stevenson ©, Agyei-Danouah, Chingoka, Marriott, Mafuta, Abril (Kouroushi, 52), Gabsi (Killingback, 67), Harris (Andreos, 65), Read, Walton-Owen

Belstone: Thomas, O’Flynn (Eales, 35), T. Merritt, Leggett, Sentance, Butler ©, Puzey, Boccer, N. Turner (P. Merritt, 63), Johnson (O’Brien, 61), D. Turner
Unused: Preedy & O’Bryne