TOPB1NS

Wealdstone 1-1 Altrincham

At Grosvenor Vale, Wealdstone and Altrincham played out a hard-fought National League match, ending in a 1-1 draw and a point for each team. The match started energetically, with Connor McAvoy scoring for Wealdstone in the fifth minute, assisted by Anthony Georgiou.

Wealdstone maintained their narrow advantage for much of the first half, but Altrincham equalised shortly before the interval. James Gale found the net in the 47th minute, levelling the score and setting up a tense second half.

In the second half, both teams’ managers made tactical substitutions in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Wealdstone’s Sam Cox made a triple substitution in the 60th minute, bringing on Sean Jordan Adarkwa for Olufela Olomola and Dominic Hutchinson for McAvoy, who had earlier opened the scoring for Wealdstone. Shortly after, Dylan Kadji was replaced by Omar Mussa as Wealdstone looked to strengthen their midfield.

Altrincham’s Phil Parkinson responded with substitutions of his own, introducing Elliot Osborne and Billy Waters for Jack Hinchy and Gale, who had scored Altrincham’s equaliser, in the 72nd minute. A further change saw Sam Barnes replace Lewis Banks a minute later, bolstering the Altrincham defence.

As the second half progressed, the match became increasingly combative. Jimmy Knowles of Altrincham received a yellow card in the 53rd minute, followed by his team-mate Billy Waters in the 74th minute. Wealdstone’s Micah Obiero was also cautioned in the 76th minute.

In the closing stages, both sides made further substitutions in pursuit of a winning goal. Wealdstone brought on Nathan Young-Coombes for Nathan Tshikuna in the 85th minute, and Sakariya Hassan replaced Phillip Chinedu in the 87th minute. Despite these efforts, neither team could break the deadlock, and the match finished with a 1-1 scoreline.

Following the draw, Wealdstone sit in 10th position in the National League table with 19 points, adjusted due to disciplinary rulings. Altrincham are further down the table in 20th place with 13 points. Wealdstone are undefeated in their last 4 games and have scored in the last 2, while Altrincham are winless in their last 6, but have scored in their last 2.