Wealdstone 0, Lowestoft Town 2

'He needs to work a little bit on sharpness because he has missed some training but he has obviously added to the quality we have in the squad.

'We are happy with the squad we have and everyone will get their chance this year and I am sure everyone will take it.'

It's a tough week for the Blues with home games against Canvey Island tomorrow and league leaders Sutton United on Saturday.

'After this we will get a good idea of our level and how the season will pan out for us,' said Gallagher.

On the weekend's win against Wealdstone, he added: 'Obviously, it's good to win and get a clean sheet away from home. We were chuffed with that. Overall, we were satisfied with the performance. We could have been a bit more clinical in the first half, something we need to improve on in future games.'

Forbes, having signed in midweek, had to be content with a place on the substitute's bench while Lee McGlone and Joe Francis were restored to the starting line-up at the expense of Jamie Godbold and Jamie Forshaw.

When he did get on, he found himself in direct opposition to his brother, Stones defender Keith.

Playing some crisp, attacking football Lowestoft took a grip early on and Francis was guilty of spurning two early chances failing to hit the target with just goalkeeper Jonathan North to beat.

Lowestoft nearly paid dearly for those lapses as a neatly-worked free-kick from Peter Dean saw Andy Reynolds dive full length to turn the ball around the post.

At the other end a direct free-kick from Adam Smith beat the defensive wall but North was perfectly positioned to save comfortably.

Reynolds again came to the Blues' rescue with an excellent diving save from Chris O'Leary.

Lowestoft took a firmer grip of the game as the first half wore on and Francis was inches too high from a Scott Mitchell cross and McGlone's glancing header from an Andrew Cave-Brown free-kick was saved by the diving North.

With half-time approaching the Blues finally broke the deadlock in the 45th minute.

The ball was moved smartly about from Smith to Cave-Brown.

His forward ball was played by Danny Bloomfield into the path of Scott Mitchell who drilled the ball high past the keeper from 15 yards.

After an uneventful opening to the second half Lowestoft brought on Forbes just past the hour mark and he was soon in the thick of the action, sending a header from Mitchell's cross into the goalkeeper's hands.

A quick counter attack saw Danny Spendlove send Greg Ngoyi clear, only to be denied by an excellent Reynolds save.

Reynolds did even better moments later as he superbly turned a vicious rising drive from Spendlove over the bar for the save of the match.

Having weathered that brief flurry of home attacks Lowestoft regained their momentum with substitutes Forbes and Forshaw setting up another shooting chance for Mitchell, who grazed the crossbar.

Cave-Brown picked out Forshaw whose cross was met by McGlone but his goal-bound effort was turned over the bar by North.

A long Reynolds clearance found Forbes but he scuffed the ball well wide before Lowestoft sealed their victory with a second goal six minutes from time.

An accurate forward ball from Cave-Brown was touched square by McGlone to Forbes who held off the challenge of Alan Massey before slipping the ball past the keeper into the net.

Though the Trawlerboys first have to negotiate their way past the potential hazard of Canvey Island tomorrow, Saturday's Sutton game looms large with only one point between the two top dogs follow United's 2-1 home victory over Margate.

• Wealdstone: North, K Forbes, Chappell, Parker, Massey, Brooks (sub Pattison 74), Dean, O'Leary, Ngoyi, Cronin (sub Lavers 74), Dyer (sub Spendlove 55), Subs (not used) Locke, Thomas.

• Lowestoft: Reynolds, Cave-Brown, Smith, Cockrill, Gaughran, Haynes-Brown, Mitchell, Fisk, McGlone, Bloomfield (sub Forshaw 63), Francis (sub Forbes 68), Subs (not used) Godbold, Halliday, Ainsley.

• Attendance: 480.