Welling United 2A1 Bromley - It's ridiclous we can't bring in the kids, fumes Barry Ashby

Although Jamie Day was listed on the team-sheet as their only substitute, the player-manager was in hospital to witness the birth of his son, as the club’s problematic transfer embargo hit home for the first time this season.

With Andy Sambrook, Joe Healy, Jordan Johnson, Jack Obersteller and Loick Pires all unavailable, the Wings were literally down to the bare bones as the League refused them permission to name any Academy players on the bench, although they did allow winger Leon Farrell to make his League debut as the club only had ten players available just hours before kick-off.

Bromley, in fifth-place, four points clear of Welling United  in sixth, went into this game on a four match unbeaten run and grabbed a 36th minute lead when striker Warren McBean scored against his former club, but two stunning strikes from Luis Cumbers and skipper Jack Parkinson gave Welling a deserved lead - before the floodlights failed just three minutes before the end of the game.

With Welling goalkeeper Mitchell Walker set to take a goal-kick, Park View Road was plunged into darkness with 42:04 on the clock (although the stand lighting remained on) and minutes later an announcement over the public address system confirmed that the lights had tripped.

Home club officials frantically tried to solve the problem as players tried to keep warm out on the pitch in the hope that the last three remaining minutes (and time added on) would be played out so Welling could keep their play-off aspirations on track.

There were ironic cheers from supporters when two floodlight plyons at the Danson Park end of the ground lit up nearly nine minutes after the blackout, but one half of the pitch was still unlit so after seventeen minutes of waiting Canterbury based referee Mr Phillip Knight decided to abandon the game.

It was harsh on Welling United, who deserved to claim three points to move within a point of their local rivals, who were simply outplayed as Bromley played their “Get Out of Jail Card.”

“We’ve had a lot of stuff go on today,” admitted Ashby as he emerged from a disappointed home dressing room.

“We’ve only got eleven players on the pitch, we’ve had no subs.  One young lad, Leon (Farrell) has come in from the Academy - he only found out this afternoon he’s playing and my heart goes out to them.  They’ve actually given us everything from minute one to 85, whatever it is? 87, but listen, you can’t legislate for that!  All you can legislate is what you do on a football pitch and how you prepare for things and the boys try and perform.

“Things like that, officials, decisions and lights going out, that’s beyond our realm unfortunately.”

When asked whether his side had “Got Out of Jail,” with such a late abandonment, Bromley boss Hayden Bird replied, “I suppose it is really!

When asked whether his side could have grabbed a late leveller, when playing badly, Bird replied, “We’ll never know will we?  Obviously we were in the ascendancy, again, because we were chasing the game.  You often get it, don’t you, in the last two or three minutes of games tams create the last gasp opportunity to equalise.  We’ll just never know, we’ll never know!”

On chances, Welling United would have won the game if it was a points decision in a boxing fight.

Bromley had the game’s first real chance after 16 minutes when right-back Arron Fray spread the ball over to left-back Harrison Dunk, who released Ryan Dolby and his angled left-footed drive forced goalkeeper Mitchell Walker into making a low save to his left to prevent the ball finding the corner.

Welling striker, Andy Pugh, had a goal ruled out for offside within a minute, before Bromley midfielder, Harry Harding looped a 30-yard right-footed half-volley just over and Pugh suffered the same fate after Graeme Andrews long ball from the half-way line was flicked on by Anthony Acheampong, who was making his league debut.

Welling midfielder, Lee Clarke, was getting into good positions, but on each occasion was off target, but the Peterborough resident received the ball after Farrell cut in from the right but his hooked left-footed half-volley from 30-yards bounced wide of the post.

Bromley, however, grabbed the lead, against the run of play, in the 36th minute, when McBean thought he had scored his tenth goal of the season.  Only bookings and sending off’s count in abandoned games, goals don’t, and fans can’t ask for a refund if the game is abandoned in the second half.

Tony Finn swept in a corner from the left which was met at the near post by McBean, who sent a powerful header from an acute angle flying inside the near post, which pleased manager Bird as they worked on set-pieces during Saturday’s training session as they were without a game.

Bird added: “That was good, we worked hard on corners on Saturday, so it’s great to score from a corner.  Lovely to see Warren score.”

Bromley’s joy was short-lived, however, as Welling levelled within three minutes, from another set-piece.

Liam Bellamy’s free-kick from the left was headed down by Acheampong and Cumbers struck a sweet left-footed volley which found the bottom left-hand corner, giving Craig Holloway no chance.

Ashby said: “It was a great strike!  I mean, any level of football, that’s a brilliant strike!  Great technique, but again I’m not surprise by that because Luis’ got quality.  Through our team we’ve got quality but it doesn’t surprise me how good a strike it was.  He’s such a good player!”

Welling coach, Dean Frost sarcastically told assistant referee Mr Ronald Albert, “Lino, we ain’t got no subs!” as the Catford official checked if there was any half-time changes.

Disappointing Bromley did create a chance on goal within the first eight minutes of the second half when former Wing, Finn cut inside and rode a sliding challenge before drilling a low right-footed shot which was blocked by Mitchell, but Finn chipped the ball over the bar when he pounced on the rebound.

The game needed to spark into life, and Parkinson and Clarke both met Bellamy corners with headers that were off target after the hour mark.

With McBean and Leon McKenzie not getting much change out of Welling’s excellent make-shift back three of Acheampong, Jamie Coyle and Andrews, Welling were enjoying plenty of possession.

Parkinson (marshalling the midfield) combined with Cumbers down the left and Pugh’s low left-footed shot on the angle brought a low save by Holloway, diving to his left again.

Welling United thought they had scored the winning goal in the 78th minute.

Coyle congratulated Andrews for playing an excellent ball down the left flank for Pugh, who whipped in an excellent cross to the edge of the penalty box and Parkinson smacked a stunning right-footed volley into the top right-hand corner.

“A bit of composure as well to bring it down, settle himself and a nice volley, a steady volley, controlled into the top left hand corner,” added Ashby.  “That was another good strike!  You see those two goals at any league you’ll be looking at them, great strikes but it wasn’t to be!  It’s unfortunate but sometimes these things happen in football.  Unfortunately for us, it’s happened tonight!”

Ashby paid tribute to his players, for showing true character in trying circumstances.

Day, Ashby, Frost, Stacey Beckham and the threadbare playing staff must take credit for being true heroes in such difficult times.

“We’ve turned up tonight under all these circumstances and we’ve put in a decent performance,” said the former Gillingham defender.

“I can’t speak highly for these group of lads’.  Whatever’s thrown at them they turn up and they give us everything from minute one to minute ninety, week in, week out.”

But Ashby criticised The Football Conference for refusing to allow the Wings to name youngsters for the bench.

He said: “I don’t know who makes this rules!  I thought league rules, where you have to put out a competitive side or at least give us a chance to put out a competitive side. 

“We’re not asking a lot, we’re not asking to bring people in on loads of money, we just wanted some of our Academy players, who are obviously our Academy players and put them on the bench.  We had to put Leon in tonight and we could’ve done with someone on the bench and give them an opportunity during the game.

“For me, it’s a little bit of a silly rule.  I know we’re under an embargo.  Sometimes you have to look past that and say ‘hang on a sec, let’s give them a fair crack of the whip’

“Look at all our circumstances, the gaffer’s in hospital with his misses, who is giving birth.  We’ve got some injuries that are two, three, maybe four weeks. It’s just ridiculous that we can’t say ‘listen, just for this one off occasion can we bring a couple of kids in from the academy just to cover us?”.

“What would’ve happened if we got a serious injury?  It’s a serious point and all of a sudden we’d be down to ten men for no fault of our own!

“I know people will say ‘because of the money situation we shouldn’t have lied to the league’ but common sense has to prevail at some point when you’re down to the bare bones.”

Ashby added: “I’m not saying we haven’t got this situation because we’ve done things the right way, but common sense has to give you a chance.  Listen, if we’re asking to go out getting people on loan from league clubs who are on ex-amount of pounds or whatever then that’s totally wrong because of our situation but we’re just asking to bring in some of our Academy boys.

“The League has got to show some common sense.  This situation has arisen, none of my boys want to be sat here injured, they’re the most honest bunch of boys you’ll find.  They all want to play.  It’s difficult!”

Bird, meanwhile, admitted he was unhappy with his side’s performance against the club’s biggest foes in this division.

“My take on it is I’m not happy!  I’m not happy with the way we played at all!

“The players are being asked to do a number of new things at the moment, thing we need time to work on.

“I want to play a completely different way to what they have been playing and it looks very much work in progress, but in all honesty they have to step up to the plate quickly because I’m not happy with what I’ve seen tonight.”

Bird, who named youth team left-back Peter Wedgeworth on the bench, added: “It’s disappointment.  I’m not frustrated because I’m sure they (Welling) are.  I’m not frustrated. We didn’t play well.”

Welling United: Mitchell Walker, Jamie Coyle, Liam Bellamy, Anthony Acheampong, Graeme Andrews, Jack Parkinson, Loui Fazakerley, Lee Clarke, Luis Cumbers, Andy Pugh, Leon Farrell.

Sub: Jamie Day

Goals: Luis Cumbers 39, Jack Parkinson 78

Booked: Jack Parkinson 73

Bromley: Craig Holloway, Arron Fray, Harrison Dunk, Wes Daly, David Graves, Jerrome Sobers, Tony Finn, Harry Harding, Leon McKenzie, Warren McBean, Ryan Dolby (Dean Lodge 67).

Subs: Marlon Patterson, Salifou Ibrahima, Peter Wedgeworth, Nicky Greene.

Goal: Warren McBean 36

Booked: Harry Harding 38, Leon McKenzie 48

Attendance: 626

Referee: Mr Phillip Knight (Canterbury)

Assistants: Mr Ronald Albert (Catford, London SE6) & Mr John Ryan (Worcester Park, Surrey)