Welling United 1-2 Salisbury City - Welling players missing home comforts - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

Wednesday 04th April 2007

WELLING UNITED 1-2 SALISBURY CITY
Nationwide Conference South
Wednesday 4^th April 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park

Jamie Day and Chris Moore both believe that Welling United can still qualify for the Nationwide Conference South play-off's, despite tonight's set-back.

A win over Salisbury City at Dartford’s stunning £6.5m Princes Park Stadium tonight, would have seen the Wings leapfrog over their opponents into fifth place.

However, the Wiltshire side excelled at the sparse Princes Park Stadium – holding it’s first ever Nationwide Conference South fixture.

Welling United had stolen a 24^th minute lead, totally against the run of play, when Martin Carthy headed home his eighth goal of the season.

But Robbie Matthews hit-back early in the second half before a stunning left-footed 30-yard volley from Luke Prince ensured the visitors jumped into second place, leaving the Wings still in sixth and three points outside the play-off’s with seven games left.

Wings boss Adrian Pennock kept faith with the same sixteen-man squad that were held to a goal-less draw by Lewes at Park View Road on Saturday.

But it took them time to adapt to their new surroundings, having played at Park View Road, VCD Athletic and Gravesend & Northfleet in the past 15 days.

And it was Salisbury City, wearing the same colours as Dartford, that played like the home side as they took the game to the Wings.

They should have taken the lead after nine minutes but striker Matthews shot straight into Jamie Turner’s grateful arms from ten-yards.

Matt Tubbs’ right-footed half-volley flew over Turner’s crossbar from seventeen yards after Prince whipped in a cross from the right hand side.

Turner then made a smart save after 18 minutes when he turned Tubbs’ shot around his near post after Tubbs cut into the box and shrugged past defender Steve Perkins.

Matthews’ shot deflected just past the foot of the far post before Welling United grabbed the lead from their first attempt on goal.

Joe Bruce, a recent capture from league rivals Basingstoke Town, delivered a fierce cross from the right channel and Carthy was on hand to head down and past Ryan Clarke from six-yards out.

Welling squandered an excellent chance to double their lead with their next chance on the stroke of half-time.

Hector Mackie, whose on loan from Stevenage Borough, slipped the ball to goalscorer Carthy who laid the ball off for Des Boateng, but the midfielder ballooned his 25-yard shot over Clarke’s crossbar.

Luck was on the Wings side just before the half-time whistle when Matthews’ shot deflected off Moore and rolled agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

And Clarke was never going to be troubled by a hopeful drilled shot from full-back Leon Solomon.

But Salisbury deservedly drew level within eight minutes into the second half – ending a run of 426 minutes without a goal.

Clarke’s clearance was flicked on by Michael Fowler and Matthews drove a shot across Turner to find the bottom far corner.

Matt Robinson’s dink into the Wings penalty area was met by a glancing header from Matthews, but this was comfortably saved by the former Tonbridge Angels goalkeeper.

An offside flag spared Carthy’s blushes when he stroked a shot wide from six-yards after 65 minutes.

But the vocal visiting fans were celebrating a deserved winner with 17 minutes left.

A corner from substitute Jerome Watt was headed out to Prince and he unleashed a stunning left-footed volley from 30-yards that screamed into the bottom right hand corner past Turner’s desperate dive.

Robinson almost added a third soon after but his 16-yard shot flashed past the far post.

Day’s free-kick was met by a towering header from Danny Kedwell but his effort cleared Clarke’s crossbar.

Tubbs latched onto Matthews’ flick and after cutting inside Solomon, he dragged his shot past the far post from eight-yards out.

More good play from Salisbury saw Tubbs hit a sweet shot just over before Welling were robbed off an undeserved last-gasp equaliser.

A cross from the right by Ellis Green was met by a towering header from Kedwell, which rocketed over Clarke’s head and into the net but the goal was ruled out due to a dubious offside decision from assistant Mr Ben Wright.
This decision, however, angered Day as he spoke EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.

“I thought we deserved to get something from the game,” he said.

“I think the last goal, Keds (Danny Kedwell) was definitely onside.

“The linesman made one decision all night and that was the only one.

“But we’ve got to kick on now and see if we can pick up a few results towards the end of the season.”

But Day believes the Wings are good enough to qualify for the lottery next month.

“If you look at the games we’ve got left, there’s three or four possible wins hopefully, without looking too far forward – we’re still in with a shout!” he said.

And Day wants the club to return to Park View Road permanently so he can enjoy home comforts.

“We’d like to play at home at Park View,” he said. “I think the pitch suits us best the way we play.

“It doesn’t help when we go to other clubs with their bigger pitches when it doesn’t suit our game but we’ve got to get used to it because it’s the situation we’re in but we’d like to play at Park View all the time.”

The midfielder added: “The game was fast tempo from the start. I think it was two teams who didn’t want to lose.

“You’ve got to get used to your surroundings straight away so it played a small part but it’s the same for both teams.”

Moore, would also like to return to Park View Road for the club’s home games, but didn’t mind the atmosphere at Princes Park, despite the match attracting the stadium’s lowest ever crowd for a first team match.

A disappointed Moore said: “We had a great chance to get back into the play-off’s but we just kept giving away too many stupid free-kick’s round the box, and that led to one of the goals.

“It starts of very quiet at home (but) we’ve got a great atmosphere at Park View Road but not at Gravesend.

“Gravesend was so quiet but tonight was good. The atmosphere was good but Park View Road is much, much better.”

But both players are not looking forward to their trip to The Warren, a soulless place in west London, to play Yeading.

“It’s going to be hard there,” said Moore, the rock at the heart of the Wings defence.

“It will be raining, it will be windy and there won’t be much grass on the pitch – horrible place to go but we’ll get three points.”

Day agreed, adding: “It’s a horrible place to go but we’ve got to get three points.

“As you say it’s not a nice place to go but places like that we need to get wins.”

Welling’s next home game, against Farnborough Town on Easter Monday, is back at Park View Road (3pm) before they play Cambridge City at Gravesend & Northfleet’s Stonebridge Road two days later.

Meanwhile, a recent “Auction of Pledges” at Sidcup Sports Club raised £6,000 towards the floodlight fund.

Welling United: Jamie Turner, Joe Bruce, Leon Solomon, Steve Perkins, Chris Moore, Des Boateng (Ellis Green 53), Martin Carthy, Danny Kedwell, Richard Carpenter, Hector Mackie (Sam Tucknott 63), Jamie Day.
Subs: Ben Lewis, Mark Goodfellow, Keith Rowland.

Booked: Jamie Day 5, Martin Carthy 75

Goal: Martin Carthy 24

Salisbury City: Ryan Clarke, Jon Bass, Matt Robinson, Aaron Cook, Alan Neilson, Danny Clay, Michael Fowler, Luke Prince, Robbie Matthews, Matt Tubbs, Jon Beswetherick (Jerome Watt 67).
Subs: Scott Bartlett, Matt Holmes, Declan McGregor, Matt Bulman.

Booked: Robbie Matthews 48, Danny Clay 79, Jon Bass 87.

Goals: Robbie Matthews 53, Luke Prince 73

Attendance: 364
Referee: Mr Gavin Muge (Luton, Bedfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Arif Khalfe & Mr Ben Wright