Wooden is the hero as Gosport grab point at Wealdstone

It was a tough contest, with Wealdstone taking the lead through Bradley Hudson-Odoi early in the second half.

But Wooden’s goal sealed a point for boss Alex Pike’s battling side.

Pike sent out an unchanged team from the reverse fixture against Gordon Bartlett’s team nine days ago, to face the Stones on a heavy pitch at The Vale.

Neither side had played a league game since the 1-1 draw.

Jefferson Louis had the first clear chance of the night, racing clear of the visitors defence but he fired wide from a tricky angle.

Louis turned provider minutes later, picking out Jonny Wright with a lovely little ball from the left which left Wright with the goal at his mercy.

But it was a more difficult chance than it appeared and he was unable to control the ball and the chance passed.

Gosport keeper Nathan Ashmore was called into action after 23 minutes when he blocked Odoi’s stinging effort with his legs as the Stones continued to ask questions of their visitors.

TJ Cuthbertson’s goal-line clearance kept Boro level on the half hour, with another quality Davies set piece being flicked on by Odoi.

The header was on target, but Cuthbertson’s last-gasp clearance prevented the Stones getting the goal their early dominance deserved.

Gosport’s evening took a turn for the worse as Brett Poate sustained an injury and Pike was forced to take his captain off.

Tony Lee replaced him and Andy Robinson, as he has successfully done on a number of occasions, dropped back to centre defence.

Justin Bennett fired a free-kick just high and wide from around 25 yards after Gosport’s top scorer had been fouled as the visitors had their first serious chance of the evening.

Within seconds of the second half starting, the Stones were ahead.

A sharp turn and diagonal shot, inside the Gosport area from Hudson-Odoi left Ashmore helpless aided by a slight deflection.

Wealdstone moved up a gear and Ashmore denied them a second with a superb save low to his left to keep out a header from Louis.

Ashmore made another top-drawer save to deny Harriott whose powerful low effort was headed for the bottom left hand corner.

Louis wasn’t able to get to the rebound but Godfrey did and fired wide.

The hosts looked to have won it until Gosport astonishingly produced an equaliser in stoppage time.

Wooden headed home a cross from the left to salvage a point.

Wealdstone: Howes, McLeod-Urquhart, Smith, Cadmore, Hamblin, Godfrey, Wright, Harriott, Louis, Davies, Hudson-Odoi. Subs: Binns, Parker, Ball, Lucien, McGleish

Gosport Borough: Ashmore, Cutherbertson, Williams, Carter, Poate, Woodford, Barker, Harding, Robinson, Bennett, Wooden. Subs: Wilde, Lee, MacDevitt, White, Wheeler