Wealdstone 3 – 0 Worthing

Wealdstone

4QR

3 - 0

Worthing

KO: 15:00 | Sat 17th Oct ’26

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 started in place of 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 Wealdstone 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 former Wealdstone favourite 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 a curling 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, 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 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 on Monday evening.

FULL TIME- WEALDSTONE 3-0 WORTHING

Wealdstone: Long, Chesters (J Newton 36), Conroy (T Newton 73), McAvoy (Cook 56), Kanu, Wells-Morrison, Oni, Henry, Maher (Olomola 81), Okenabirhie, Norris Subs not used: Searle (GK), Kaunda.

Att: 942.

Match Report:

Danny Payne Post Match Interview HERE

Jon Taffel Match Pics HERE

Highlights:

WFC HERE

WFC(A) HERE

	Non League Newspaper
Worthing FC Website Match Report Worthing exited the Emirates FA Cup at the Fourth Round Qualifying stage after three second-half strikes from fellow National League side Wealdstone condemned the Rebels to defeat in the capital. Following an evenly-contested first 45 minutes, goals from Ronan Maher, Fejiri Okenabirhie and Luke Norris put the tie beyond doubt amidst a lacklustre second half showing from the away side. Adam Hinshelwood made seven changes to the side which started in the 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town U21s in the National League Cup with Joe Cook, Dom Hutchinson, Ricky Aguiar and Harvey Griffiths the only retained starters. Taylor Seymour, Joel Colbran, Jayden Moore and Charlie Waller returned to the defensive regiment, while Jack Wadham, Razzaq Coleman De-Graft and Cory Adjetey-Brew made up the rest of the side. Suspension for Wealdstone goalkeeper Dante Baptiste meant an immediate call-up for Salford City loanee Sam Long, and the 20-year-old did not have to wait long for his first involvement. Strong pressure from Hutchinson forced Dion Conroy into a poorly-weighted pass inside his own box. Good anticipation from Adjetey-Brew allowed Worthing bodies to join the attack, with an eventual effort from Wadham at the edge of the box falling into the hands of Long. Strong winds in Ruislip hindered both sides in keeping the play on the ground, with the majority ofchances at either end coming as a result of picking up scraps from long balls. A floated pass in behind the Wealdstone defence saw Conroy once again hassled by Hutchinson approaching his own byline. Upon winning the ball back high the former Stone picked out Aguiar at the edge of the box, whose first-time effort on his weaker side curled just over the bar. At the other end, Okenabirhie came up with the hosts’ best chance of the half with five minutes of regulation time remaining. Loose play from Wadham just outside his own box allowed Okenabirhie to size up an attempt from a central position. A strong effort forced Seymour into a low stop down to his right, marking the hosts’ best opening of the half. Ten minutes into the second half a trio of attacking changes were made by the travelling Rebels, with EmmersonSutton, Charley Kendall and Jordan Young all brought on to revitalise the Worthing attack. However, within moments of the alterations taking place, it was the home side who found the opening goal. A passage down the right-hand side found the infield run of Maher, who shifted on to his left side before curling a looping effort beyond Seymour’s reach into his top right corner from 25 yards out. It took only minutes for the deficit to be doubled, with Okenabirhie profiting from a lapse in concentration from the visiting defence. A challenge on Sutton in midfield saw the Worthing backline halt their play in anticipation of the referee’s whistle. With referee Sam Mulhall seeing no offence in the play, Okenabirhie was allowed to drive unchallenged through the Rebels defence and drill past Seymour low to his right. The Rebels’ FA Cup fate was all but sealed with 64 minutes on the clock, as another defensive mistake gifted Wealdstone their third of the afternoon. A fizzed pass through the spine of Worthing’s midfield travelled all the way through to Moore as the last outfield player. With Norris lurking, missed contact on the ball from the on-loan Southampton defender sent the forward bearing down on goal. Norris showed composure to round Seymour and finish into an empty net, rounding off a horror ten-minute spell for the visitors. Half-chances for Adjetey-Brew and Young made up the best of the Rebels’ attempts to get on the scoresheet, the former striking the foot of the post having latched onto Kendall’s flick round the corner with 20 minutes to play. Ultimately, the quick-fire second-half flurry from Gary Waddock’s side went uncontested as Worthing missed the chance to progress into the First Round Proper of the FA Cup.