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Wallingford's return to the Hellenic Premier Division was a victorious one, but would have been a lot more comfortable if they had put away their early chances.
Andy Gordon's side were unfortunately without the injured Garry Clarke and Laurence Hoey, but with 5 minutes gone Wallingford should have opened the scoring. Aaron Baker disposed a defender on the left and squared to the unmarked Abdouli Taha in the middle, who took a touch and side-footed past the keeper, but also past the post. At the other end, Cory Hyde, who always looked a threat up front, round space on the left and crossed for Mark Davies, who hit the post from close range. Several more great chances then fell to the home team. Taha chipped in a pinpoint ball for Aaron Baker whose touch was too heavy and went out of play. Foday Touray then put Taha clear through the centre, but keeper Kyle Waring managed to get a hand to the ball and take it from under Taha's feet. Baker then provided a superb chance when he beat a defender on the left and crossed into the middle for Andrew Styles who arrived late but hit an awkward volley just over the bar from close range. Probably the best chance then fell to last season's top scorer Taha, whose touch seemed to desert him once more. Baker ran clear only for Waring to block with his feet. Styles then disposessed Waring with a sharp tackle and found Taha unmarked on the left, but he scuffed the ball wide of an open net from the edge of the area. Wallingford were nearly made to pay for their poor finishing when Leigh Harris had a close range half-volley well saved by debutant keeper John Shea. Cory Hyde then had a good chance after a pacy counter-attack from Pegasus, but pulled the ball wide from a tight angle. Early in the second half, Wallingford had a good penalty shout turned down when Baker crossed for Styles and the young midfielder appeared to be bundled over in the box, but it was Styles's replacement, Jean Paul Dechamps who finally broke the deadlock in the 64th minute, when debutant full-back Lee Fuller swung in a good cross and the big man met the ball with a towering header into the top corner to spark some jubilant celebrations from the Wallingford players. Pegasus seemed to up their game after going behind and had most of the possession for the remainder of the half. Hyde had a shot blocked on the line from 5 yards out, after a run from right-back Lewis Jones, but on the whole Wallingford managed to weather the storm, with Shea impressing in goal with his solid handling at set-pieces. Ross Tyler nearly scored a magnificent solo goal for the home side with a run from the half-way line, but struck his shot straight at the keeper, but Wallingford held on for a well-deserved if narrow victory. AFC Wallingford: Shea, Lee, Massaquoi, Barlow, Fenn, Touray (Z.Taha 80), Styles (Dechamps 60), Tyler, Baker, A.Taha, Fellows. Sub not used: Hoey |
