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GALLERY: Rocks 2 Wealdstone 2
Two goals from Jason Prior earned the Rocks a creditable point against high-flying Wealdstone at Nyewood Lane as Luke Nightingale returned to his spiritual home.
The Rocks and their fans will have mixed feelings about the result.
Most would have taken a point beforehand against a team of promotion chasers who have lost only twice in the league all season, but at 2-1 up, the hosts had the visitors on the back foot and had a couple of chances for a third.
But Wealdstone levelled and looked the most likely to get a winner.
Prior is in a rich vein of form and apart from his well-taken goals, had another five good chances. He missed them - but if he keeps getting into position so often, more goals will come.
Nightingale was a welcome addition to the side and a popular one with the fans. He and Richard Hudson combined well and most will have gone home after this entertaining affair thinking the Rocks have enough about them to stay up, provided they can cut out the soft goals they are letting in.
Were you there? Email sport@chiobserver.co.uk with your views on the match and Luke Nightingale's return.
Click here for the Ryman premier results and latest table
When the action got under way, there was an early scare for the Rocks when Mark E'Beyer got away down the left, but Mickey Demetriou blocked his ball across the six-yard box.
Nightingale's first touch came in the fifth minute when he linked up with Dan Beck and almost created an opening on the angle of the area, but a defender's foot denied him the most glorious of returns.
The Rocks found themselves a goal down in the 12th minute after needlessly giving away possession in their own half.
Callum Martin seized on the loose ball and took it past Tim Bond and keeper Andrej Pernecky before squaring to Jimmy Gray, who had the easy job of sidefooting into an empty net.
The Rocks were struggling to find their rhythm although Nightingale did wriggle free of his marker in the area as he ran on to a Michael Birmingham pass, but he was stopped in his tracks by a free-kick given against him.
Wealsdstone went straight up the other end and Ryan Ashe hit a volley only just too high and wide from 25 yards.
The Rocks levelled on 23 minutes. Jack Clark's trickery won him a free-kick on the left and Richard Hudson's delivery was perfect: his ball in was right on the head of top scorer Prior, who glanced a header past keeper Sam Beagle.
Hudson almost turned from provider to scorer two minutes later when he weaved his way to the edge of the box and forced Beagle into a sharp save, and suddenly, the Rocks were on top.
The home side threatened again through Beck's quick run down the left. He cut inside and then curled a cross which a defender deflected away from the onrushing Prior. The clearance fell to Hudson, whose stinging low drive was blocked.
Martin went close again for the visitors with a run down the right which ended with a shot just over.
Then Prior should have got his second of the afternoon when he was played in on the keeper, but he had too long to think about it and Beagle smothered his shot.
Prior had another sniff of goal when Bond's header from a high ball in fell to him eight yards out with the keeper nowhere, but he couldn't get his shot on target.
Then Pernecky prevented a second Wealdstone goal when he pushed Martin's sidefooted effort from close range around the post for a corner after Marvin McCoy's raid down the right.
Prior had been threatening a second and he got it in the final minute of the first half, with a little help from some poor marking from Wealdstone, as he was allowed space to volley in a Hudson corner from the right.
HT: 2-1
The Rocks had the first meaningful attack of the second half but it ended with Matt Wood's shot floating over the clubhouse roof.
Then Hudson and Nightingale combined to set up Prior for a shot which defender Alan Massey spectacularly cleared off the line.
The green army had switched ends with their team at the break and were in good voice in front of the clubhouse as the Rocks put Wealdstone under pressure.
Another Hudson free-kick, this one for a spot of shirt-pulling, brought yet another chance for Prior but he was denied by Chris O'Leary's block.
The visitors made the day's first substitution on 55 minutes as Gray was replaced by Charlie Mpi. Straight away, Mpi created a controversial Wealdstone equaliser when his shot was deflected in by the helpless Demetriou. The Rocks complained that Mpi had fouled Bond as he ran through on goal, but the goal was allowed.
Wealdstone brought on their second sub, Danny Spendlove replacing Darren Locke. The new man was soon in the action, dragging a shot wide of Pernecky's near post from ten yards.
Wood was replaced by Lewis Ide midway through the second half, with the Rocks now struggling to re-impose their authority on the game after the visitors' equaliser.
The first booking of the afternoon went to McCoy for a late challenge on Clark.
With 18 minutes to go, Darin Killpartrick made his second change, introducing James Crane for Grant Hall at right-back.
It was something of a scrappy second half, not helped by all the substitutions. And there was a fifth change in less than 20 minutes when Wealdstone brought on Billy Gibson for Martin.
There was a harsh yellow card for Bond in the 76th minute when he was cautioned for an innocuous handball in the opposition half.
Prior had a golden chance to complete his hat-trick on 79 minutes but he volleyed over from eight yards after a header was flicked on. Killpartrick's head was in his hands in the technical area as he rued a wasted opportunity.
At the other end Lee Chappell's screamer was only just the wrong side of the angle of bar and post.
Wealdstone won a free-kick just outside the box with five minutes left, a decision which so incensed Birmingham he was booked for his reaction. Gibson curled the kick well over the bar.
Both sides were still going for the win and Nightingale curled in a nice cross which fell to Prior at the far post, but the attention of two defenders was too much for him.
In the 90th minute, Hudson got a warm reception from the crowd as he was replaced by Gary Norgate.
The change came as the Rocks defended a free kick which Pernecky could only Parry and Ashe's shot from ten yards was somehow deflected for a corner. Pernecky went down injured in the melee and needed lengthy treatment for what looked like a shoulder injury. He was okay to carry on and the corner was scuffed into the side netting.
Wealdstone piled on the pressure in three added-on minutes but it ended all-square.
FT 2-2
Rocks: Pernecky, Hall, Clark, Wood, Bond, Demetriou, Hudson, Birmingham, Prior, Nightingale, Beck. Subs: Crane, Norgate, Tucknott, Oatway, Ide.
Wealdstone: Beagle, McCoy, Chappell, Locke, Massey, Ashe, Fitzgerald, O'Leary, Gray, Martin, E'Beyer. Subs: Corcoran, Spendlove, Mpi, Gibson, Ngoyi.
Ref: C Hicks (Sutton).
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