- Wycombe made 11 changes but still eased past Non League outfit Wealdstone
- Beryly Lubala and Richard Kone scored superb goals for the League One leaders
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A record crowd made its way through suburban streets to Grosvenor Vale for Saturday brunchtime along with the ITV cameras and former England captain Stuart Pearce, Wealdstone’s favourite son.
They came with their tin foil trophies and steaming flasks of tea in the hope Matty Taylor’s National League outfit might make it to the third round of the FA Cup for only the second time in their rich 125-year history and the first time since 1983.
On the last occasion they were pitched in with the big boys of English football, they and Wycombe Wanderers were fierce non-league rivals, having locked together from the Isthmian League to the Conference.
But Wycombe arrived as the best team at this stage of the competition. They are flying high and lived up to their billing as Matt Bloomfield made 11 changes and saw his side establish a first-half lead before sending on the first teamers to score again and close out victory.
The Stones’ FA Cup dream was crushed for another year.
‘There’s a reason we were the early kick-off live on TV,’ said Bloomfield. ‘That’s because everyone was hoping there might be an upset and we might be the story. We had to deal with those things. Early start, different ground but we were us and we retained the standards we value. That’s not easy sometimes.’
Beryly Lubala expertly curled a free kick over the Wealdstone wall to give Wycombe the lead
In-form Richard Kone came off the bench to score a brilliant second for the League One side
Wealdstone attracted a record crowd for the FA Cup second round tie but came up short
Wycombe though are in exceptional form having won 10 league games and they took the lead with a moment of quality by Beryly Lubala, in the 29th minute. Lubala curled a expertly over the defensive wall and into the top corner after a foul by Jack Cook on Daniel Udoh.
In-form Richard Kone came off the bench to score a brilliant second, turning past former Watford defender Adrian Mariappa, a veteran of the FA Cup final defeat in 2019, before unleashing a ferocious shot to beat goalkeeper Jacob Adams. And that was that.
Wealdstone had their chances. They should have scored first when Alex Reid, on loan from Oldham, fired over an open goal from close range, just moments before Lubala’s opener.
‘I think it would have changed things,’ said Wealdstone boss Taylor, the former West Ham, Portsmouth and Bolton full back. ‘Our supporters were desperate to get behind us and if that had gone in you would have seen this place become quite intimidating.’
There was pressure in the second half too. Wycombe goalkeeper Shamal George made two brilliant saves to deny Reid and another from his fellow striker Sam Ashford.
‘It wasn’t to be,’ said Taylor. ‘We were excellent for large periods of the game, but you can see the difference in levels.
‘There’s wonderful free-kick and their goalkeeper was man of the match in my opinion. You’ve got to take your big moments. We didn’t but I’m extremely proud.
‘They’re full time and top of League One, we’re part time unfortunately but we’ll get loads of points in the National League playing like that.’
Wycombe move on, resuming their usual position as unfancied outsiders in the third round draw with Bloomfield dreaming of a shot at Manchester United.