Eastleigh 4-2 Welling United - We're in a very disappointing position in the league so now we've got to focus and get ourselves moving up the league, says Welling United boss Mark Goldberg

Eastleigh 4 – 2 Welling United
Location	Ten Acres, Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 9HT
Kickoff	22/10/2019 19:45

EASTLEIGH  4-2  WELLING UNITED
The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 22 October 2019
Stephen McCartney reports from Ten Acres

WELLING UNITED manager Mark Goldberg says his side gave a good account of themselves during their two FA Cup games with Eastleigh.

The Wings missed their big chance to knock out Eastleigh on Saturday, after being held to a goal-less draw at Park View Road but Ben Strevens’ side did the business with clinical finishing to set up a FA Cup First Round trip to Southern League Premier Central side Stourbridge on 9 November.

Welling United go home with £24,250 in prize money, having beaten Chipstead (7-0) and Tavistock (4-1), while Eastleigh claim the £18,750 winners’ prize money.

Eastleigh are in thirteenth-place in the Vanarama National League table with 24 points from 17 games, while Welling United are in fifteenth-place in the Vanarama National League South with 15 points from their 13 league outings.

The Spitfires bossed possession during the early exchanges and striker Scott Rendell scored the first of his two penalties before Welling United snatched an equaliser through Adam Coombes’ near-post header to score his seventh goal of the season.

Eastleigh took the lead for a second time through Ben Williamson’s close range header to notch his second goal of the season.

Rendell scored his second penalty to kill the game off six minutes into the second half before winger Tom Bearwish capped off an impressive performance with another headed goal from the home side.

Welling United kept plugging away and winger Anthony Cook scored his fourth goal of the season when he found the top far corner late on.

“Well, very disappointed obviously coming away from a really good performance on Saturday and really controlling so much of the game on Saturday,” said Goldberg.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult ask to do it all over again against a full-time squad and they know they didn’t play as well as they could have done so I think maybe we went out with more of an attacking philosophy and system than what we should’ve done.

“We found ourselves, like we were under a lot of pressure in the first 20 minutes and they had two goals disallowed and their first goal was coming, although it was a rash penalty that got them underway, which was do disappointing.

“We changed our shape and we got ourselves back in the game.  We were one-all and disappointed to concede the second on the far stick but I thought at half-time we were still in the game.

“It’s just disappointing to give away another penalty at the start of the second half, which really then killed us off. That third goal is almost the most important goal.”

There was concern for Welling United eight-goal striker Bradley Goldberg before the game after he crashed to the ground after being hit by a football during the warm-up.

Eastleigh bossed the possession during the opening 10 minutes with Welling United hardly touching the ball and an offside flag denied the home side taking the lead after five minutes.

Centre-half Rob Atkinson drove straight down the middle of the pitch with the ball at his feet and reached the edge of the box before he threaded the ball into Williamson, who flicked the ball back to Atkinson, who played in Rendell, whose low shot nestled into the bottom far corner, only to be denied by an offside flag.

Eastleigh were playing a slick passing game from back to side as Welling United struggled to get on the ball so it was no surprise when Eastleigh took a deserved lead with 10 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock.

Winger Sam Smart was released down the right and he floated a ball into the box which was met by Williamson’s free header, which was destined for the far corner, only to be headed off the line by Connor Dymond.

The ball fell kindly for Bearwish, who was tripped inside the box by Welling United’s centre-half Ejiro Okosieme and referee Matthew Russell pointed to the spot.

Rendell stroked his right-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner, sending keeper Daniel Wilks the wrong way.

“It was a disappointing penalty to give away, it was a bit rash and I’m not sure whether it was necessary,” said Goldberg.

“We changed our shape after that and we were well in the game once we changed our shape so it was just disappointing to give the penalty away.”

Welling United grabbed an equaliser, following their first attempt on goal, with 19 minutes and 56 seconds on the clock.

The highly-rated Jack Jebb delivered a free-kick of quality from the right some 30-yards from goal and Coombes found a pocket of space at the near post to flick his header into the bottom near corner from eight-yards.

“It was a great delivery and a great finish,” added Goldberg.

“I thought we looked as lively as they did and it was an open game. It was just disappointing that we gave a second goal away!”

The equaliser saw Welling United grow in confidence and they had a decent chance to snatch the lead.

Danny Waldren played a one-two with Jebb before spraying the play out to right-back Sanchez Ming.  He fed Cook down the right and he cut the ball onto his left-foot before whipping in a great cross but Goldberg steered his free header over the crossbar from 10-yards.

“He put a decent ball in the box, it wasn’t straight in front of goal so Brad had to get something on it but didn’t really test the keeper,” added the manager, who was concerned when his son stayed down for less than five minutes after being hit by a drilled shot at goal towards the end of the warm-up.

“I think maybe he wasn’t quite himself, he took a blast in the head in the warm-up but you never know with forwards whether they could nick you a goal so it was a difficult one to not keep them on.”

Eastleigh were clinical in front of goal as they regained the lead with 28 minutes and 17 seconds on the clock.

Jack Payne played a free-kick into Smart, who played the ball back to the holding midfielder, who whipped in a first time cross from the right.  Danny Hollands looped his header towards goal, which was palmed up by Wilks and Williamson nodded the ball over the line and into the bottom right-hand corner from a couple of yards as it dropped down kindly for him.

Goldberg added: “Just the timing of that was disappointing, we know how dangerous they are at the far stick, it’s disappointing.”

Welling United’s left-back Joe Anderson whipped in a cross into the Eastleigh box but Coombes’ flicked his shot high into the air and watched it drop behind for a goal-kick.

There were only three corners tonight, with Payne taking both of the Spitfires’ flag-kicks and the impressive Bearwish saw his diving header at the near post clear the crossbar from 10-yards.

Welling United were a threat down the right in the first half with Cook and Ming often linking up well with overlapping runs, causing problems for Eastleigh’s left-back Cavaghn Miley.

Ming ran inside and Cook ignored his team-mate to whip in a teasing cross, which evaded Goldberg but was met at the far post by an unmarked Coombes but the angle was too tight and the striker hooked his shot into the side netting.

“It was a good move, good football,” added Goldberg.

“We were causing them problems and we went in at half-time thinking we could still, we were very much still in the game.”

Welling United created the first chance of the second half when Cook cut in from the right wing into a central position and drew a bookable foul from Payne.

Jebb whipped his right-footed free-kick from 30-yards straight into the midriff of Eastleigh keeper Max Stryjek, who made a comfortable catch.

“We still felt we could score at any time but that third goal, it was the critical goal,” admitted Goldberg.

However, a handball from Welling United’s centre-half Okosieme killed off his side’s FA Cup campaign as referee Matthew Russell awarded Eastleigh their second penalty of the night.

Eastleigh right-back Charlie Seaman whipped in a cross into the Welling box and the ball clearly struck Okosieme’s left-hand with no opponents close by and Rendell slotted his right-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner, despite Wilks guessing correctly and diving the same way, to score their third goal of the night with five minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.

“We believed that we were well in the game but to concede a penalty when he slipped, I thought it was an unfair decision by the ref,” said Goldberg.

“He says that it’s got to be given but I don’t know how it’s got to be given if the player slips.  It was accidental handball so I don’t know is that the rule?  Accidental handballs have got to be given?  I just don’t understand it but the ref couldn’t explain it to me but that kills you.  That third goal is the crucial goal. It was very disappointing.

“Then the game’s open and you have got to go for it to get back in and on the break they’re always likely to score.”

Clinical Eastleigh completed their scoring with their fourth goal, which was timed at nine minutes and 37 seconds into the second half.

A sublime touch from Rendell saw him bring the ball down under his spell before Williamson held the ball up before waiting for some support, which came from right-winger Smart.  His whipped in low cross was inch-perfect for Bearwish to nip in front of Ming to bury his diving header past Wilks from inside the six-yard box.

“I think we were quite open then because we needed to go for it. It’s a Cup competition, if you lose 5-1 or if you lose 1-0 it doesn’t make any difference, you’re out so we went for it.  They caught us on the break and they punished us.”

Welling United were enjoying a good spell of pressure in the 19^th minute when Jebb – who by this time had switched from right-wing to the middle of the park – played a sublime diagonal pass that split open Miley and played Ming in behind the left-back and his cross was met by Coombes’ diving header, which lacked power and trickled into Stryjek’s hands from 10-yards out.

The introduction of substitute Nathan Green sparked Welling United into life and he cut the ball back to Anderson, who whipped in a cross from the left which was met by Okosieme’s towering header from inside a crowded penalty area, which cleared the crossbar from 12-yards.

“Bradley Goldberg was tired, he put in a real shift.  I think the knock to the head effected him and Danny Waldren looked tired from the knock on Saturday and we needed fresh legs,” revealed Goldberg.

Welling United pushed bodies forward and Danny Hollands’ tackle on Coombes on the edge of the box saw the ball roll kindly to Green, who cut the ball onto his left-boot and his 22-yard drive was held in the Eastleigh keeper’s midriff with 13 minutes remaining.

Goldberg said: “We finished with a bit of a flourish but it was too late by then.

“We could’ve actually got ourselves back in to the game. It was one of those, but we had the chances but listen we had a go didn’t we?”

Green then cut into the Eastleigh penalty area, leaving his marker on the floor, and drove his shot into the side netting from 10-yards after beating his marker.

Welling United kept plugging away and pulled a second goal back with 40 minutes and 48 seconds on the clock.

Okosieme was in oceans of space and pinged a crossfield 50-yard diagonal pass over to Cook, who stabbed a first time pass inside to Coombes, who played the ball back to Cook, who from just outside the penalty box drilled his cross-shot over the keeper’s right-shoulder into the top far corner.

Goldberg said: “Whether it was a cross or not, I don’t know but it was a great strike!

“Well, their third goal was the killer for us and then we had to chase the game. When you chase the game you’re vulnerable to concede another goal.

“But we gave a decent account of ourselves over the two games but unfortunately it doesn’t matter how well you played, it’s about being in the next round and we’re not so it’s a big disappointment for us.”

Welling United were caught on the break inside the final couple of minutes when Miley threaded the ball along the deck to put Smart through on goal but Wilks made the save with his legs.

At the other end, Ming easily got past Hollands down the right and found space to whip in a cross which was met by Green’s towering header, which sailed across the keeper and was headed off the line by Eastleigh centre-half Atkinson.

Williamson put Smart in behind Welling centre-half Rob Swaine but a weak shot from the Eastleigh winger was comfortably picked up by Wilks at his near post at the end.

Upon reflection, Eastleigh’s full-time status proved to be the decisive and that proved to be the difference tonight as Welling United missed their chance at Park View Road.

“I thought they were clinical today but you’ve got to say actually they scored two penalties – that was the difference,” said Goldberg.

“We scored twice, they scored four times and they had two penalties so there wasn’t that much in it really, although they were the better side tonight. We were the better side on Saturday and they were the better side tonight but the penalty, the third goal made such a difference.”

Eastleigh are expected to get past seventh-placed Stourbridge, whom are two levels below the Spitfires.

“We achieved the minimum that we needed to achieve but only the minimum so it’s still very disappointing because we had a chance and what a draw we could’ve had and now Eastleigh have got it all to gain and we’ve got nothing to gain,” admitted Goldberg.

“We deserved to have a replay, we deserved to be in that first round from Saturday’s game but it wasn’t meant to be tonight. It was always going to be a difficult ask.”

Bottom-of-the-table side St Albans City arrive at Park View Road on Saturday with two wins and four draws from their opening 14 games and Goldberg has challenged his side to bounce back from their FA Cup exit and to start climbing the table.

“We’ve got to dust ourselves off and learn from our experience.  We’ve got to try to gain some positives from the two games and we’ve got to go on a run in the league now,” said Goldberg, whose side are seven points adrift of the play-off zone.

“We’re in a very disappointing position in the league so now we’ve got to focus and get ourselves moving up the league and get a win on Saturday.

“We need to go on a run of wins and we’ve got to be pushing above halfway and looking towards the play-offs by the end of the season so that’s a must that we get a win on Saturday.

“It’s going to be a tough few days ahead.  Listen, we have got to be up for it. We’ve got to get our energy back. We’ve got a squad that’s capable.

“I don’t think over the two games we looked like a league below this team.  You might said so because of the scoreline but I think over the two games we gave a decent account of ourselves.”

Eastleigh: Max Stryjek, Charlie Seaman, Cavaghn Miley, Jack Payne (Lewis Waterfield 84), Rob Atkinson, Andrew Boyce, Tom Bearwish (Ben Scorey 81), Danny Hollands, Scott Rendell, Ben Williamson (Lewis Beale 90), Sam Smart.
Subs: Tyrone Barnett, Ross Flitney

Goals: Scott Rendell 11 (penalty), 51 (penalty), Ben Williamson 29, Tom Bearwish 55

Booked: Jack Payne 47, Cavaghn Miley 73

Welling United: Daniel Wilks, Sanchez Ming, Joe Anderson, Connor Dymond, Rob Swaine, Ejiro Okosieme, Jack Jebb (Montel Agyemang 76), Danny Waldren (Aaron Cosgrave 62), Bradley Goldberg (Nathan Green 71), Adam Coombes, Anthony Cook.
Subs: Dquarme Copeland, Gavin McCallum, Joshua Oyinsan, Theo Widdrington

Goals: Adam Coombes 20, Anthony Cook 86

Booked: Danny Waldren 32

Attendance: 803
Referee: Mr Matthew Russell (Waterlooville, Hampshire)
Assistants: Mr Joshua Ainscow (Swindon, Wiltshire) & Mr Declan O’Shea (Chippenham, Wiltshire)
Fourth Official: Mr Robert Ablitt (Fareham, Hampshire)