Elliot Benyon's second-half penalty miss proved fatal as Wealdstone were beaten 2-1 at St Albans City last night.

Last season's top scorer struck the post from 12 yards with the scores level, moments after Saints defender Tom Bender had been dismissed for a deliberate handball on the line.

Josh Hill had earlier scored his first Stones goal to give the visitors a first-half lead, only for Sam Merson to steal a leveller after taking advantage of a defensive mix-up.

Wealdstone had dominated with 11-versus-11, but after Bender's dismissal lost their edge - and ultimately a point - when Zane Banton skipped through their backline to slot past Jonathan North for what would prove the winner.

David Ijaha was handed his full debut at Clarence Park days after signing terms with the Stones, and Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick also given a starting berth for the first time. Dan Fitchett and Ricky Wellard dropped to the bench from Saturday's opening-day win over Concord Rangers.

Wealdstone first showed their hand after 26 minutes, when Hippolyte-Patrick thundered an effort against the crossbar following Bender's mistake.

At the weekend the Stones had been guilty of wasting chances in front of goal, and after another couple of near misses they finally took the lead before half-time.

Hill found himself unmarked at the far post from Danny Green's swerving free-kick to divert the ball home for his first Wealdstone goal.

In that Concord game, Gordon Bartlett's side had got away with their profligacy after a brief scare - and it came back to haunt them again as Merson, son of Arsenal level Paul, levelled up before the interval.

Banton rolled the ball through for the young forward, who raced in between the Stones defence and a hesitant North, and he slotted in an equaliser against the run of play.

With territory can often come danger, and while the visitors kept up their dominance after the break they almost found themselves behind four minutes into the second hal.

An end-to-end counter attack began on the edge of the Saints' box and ended with Kieran Mounlis firing wide for the hosts with the goal gaping.

If that was a good chance, it was nothing on what would follow for Wealdstone. A cross was turned goalwards by Green, only for a save any goalkeeper would be pleased with from Bender to keep the ball out on the line. The former Wales Under-21 defender was swiftly dismissed from proceedings.

Benyon had a the chance to put the Stones back in front from 12 yards, but struck the base of the home post before St Albans cleared, in a moment which would inexplicably begin to turn the match in their favour.

Banton showed the Stones how it was done when he picked up the ball 30 yards from goal and after jinking through some half-hearted defending, stroked an effort beyond North to give the 10-man saints the lead.

The introduction of Fitchett, Wellard and Andrew Osei-Bonsu did little to aid the Wealdstone charge to get something out of the game, and they were left cursing the width of the goalframe come full-time, on the back of their first defeat of the season.

Wealdstone: North; Oshodi, Okimo, Hill, Brown (Osei-Bonsu 83); Hippolyte-Patrick (Fitchett 62), Cox, Ijaha (Wellard 62), Green; Benyon, Eisa.

Not used: Godfrey, Hunt.