Bartlett praises players after Wealdstone fightback

Wealdstone manager Gordon Bartlett praised his side’s attitude after they came from behind with 10 men to snatch a 1-1 draw against Hemel Hempstead Town.

The Stones went a goal down and had midfielder Aryan Tajbakhsh red-carded inside the opening 20 minutes at Grosvenor Vale, but they fought back to dominate the second half.

Hemel were also reduced to 10 men when Callum Driver was sent off for a foul on Ryan Sellers and Wealdstone squandered chances before Danny Green scrambled home the equaliser two minutes from time.

Bartlett told West London Sport: “The response was superb. We were comfortably the better side in the second half and I felt we should have won it with 10.

“We wanted to win and it’s tough when you’re a man down – we have a lot of flair players in the side and they have to show the other side of it, which they did.

“The attitude in the changing room has been spot on for a long, long time – despite what people think. I’ve heard lots of opinions from those who are not in the changing room, but this is a good group.”

Wealdstone remain eighth in the National League South table with four games remaining – and could yet qualify for the play-offs if teams above them fail to meet stadium requirements.

Top scorer Elliott Benyon and defender Liam Goulding, who have just returned from injury, are set to feature in Stones’ Middlesex Senior Charity Cup tie at Uxbridge on Tuesday, but midfielder Ricky Wellard could miss out with a knee problem.