Wealdstone delivered a blistering first-half performance at Grosvenor Vale, defeating FC Halifax Town 3-1 in a match packed with early action. The victory guaranteed Wealdstone’s place in the National League next season, while Halifax Town, despite the setback, are confirmed for a play-off quarter-final berth.
The Stones began strongly, with Jack Cook opening the scoring in the 4th minute, assisted by Max Kretzschmar. Wealdstone then doubled their lead in the 17th minute through Kallum Cesay. The pressure continued as Mustapha Carayol added a third goal in the 25th minute, also assisted by Kretzschmar, leaving Halifax struggling to respond. During the first half, Harvey Sutcliffe received a yellow card for Halifax in the 32nd minute.
Clearly dissatisfied, Halifax manager Chris Millington made a bold move at half-time, introducing Luca Thomas, Jamie Cooke, Florent Hoti, Ryan Galvin, and Angelo Capello in a quintuple substitution, hoping to turn the tide. The changes provided some improvement, with Luca Thomas reducing the deficit for the visitors in the 56th minute, assisted by Florent Hoti.
Wealdstone reacted to Halifax’s changes with substitutions of their own. In the 52nd minute, Mustapha Carayol, who had earlier scored, was replaced by Micah Obiero. Further changes saw Alex Dyer replaced by Craig Eastmond in the 70th minute, and Dominic Hutchinson, who received a yellow card in the 51st minute, was substituted for Harrison Sohna in the 79th minute. Tensions rose towards the end of the match, with Dante Astor Baptiste and Jack Cook both receiving yellow cards in the 86th and 88th minutes respectively.
In the end, Wealdstone secured a vital victory. This win, combined with Dag & Red’s draw against Solihull Moors, ensured Wealdstone avoided relegation. The victory sees them finish the season in 20th position with 53 points. FC Halifax Town, despite the defeat, remain in 6th place with 70 points, securing their play-off spot.