Welling United 3-0 Dartford. Pennock: Our attitude was spot on

WELLING UNITED 3-0 DARTFORD
John Ullman Kent Senior Cup First Round
Tuesday 7^th November 2006
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

Welling United booked themselves a place in the last eight of the Kent Senior Cup, defeating a Dartford side playing their last game in exile.

Both managers made changes to their starting line-ups, with Wings boss Adrian Pennock playing only John Guest and Akwasi Edusei who played in their 4-0 defeat at Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday - and both of them scored tonight.

Midfielder Nick Barnes, meanwhile, made his debut for Dartford having signed from local rivals Maidstone United.

The turning point of the game, however, was the 52^nd minute sending off for Darts defender Anthony Henry, and Edusei broke the deadlock scoring from the penalty spot.

Although the Nationwide Conference South hosts created the most chances during a dour first half, Dartford didn’t disgrace themselves.

It took 14 minutes for any side to fashion a chance and Miguel Da Cunha, whose just received international clearance from Portugal to play, squared the ball to his strike partner, Andrew Sam, whose shot flew just wide.

Da Cunha squandered an excellent chance to break the deadlock when he headed Jamie Day’s right-footed free-kick over from just six yards.

Edusei then rode a challenge from Brad Potter before unleashing a 25-yard drive which deflected past the post.

From the resulting corner, taken by Day, Steve Perkins rose unmarked to glance his header wide.

Dartford’s first chance came after 38 minutes when Steve Hafner nicked the ball from Des Boateng in midfield, raced down the middle of the pitch, before blazing his left-footed shot over Paul Hyde’s crossbar from 22-yards.

After a stern half-time chat Welling increased their urgency in the second half, making their attacking intentions known and Dartford skipper Tommy Osborne was on hand to clear Edusei’s poked shot towards goal off the line.

From Day’s resulting corner Dartford’s goalkeeper Kevin Hudson kept out Perkins’ header, which lead to a goalmouth scramble, and youth team player Chris Dunphy, who impressed during the second half, replacing right-sided midfielder Da Cunha, rifled his shot just over.

But Eltham referee Mr Ian Crouch, whose been chosen to referee Saturday’s opener at Princes Park, brandished a straight red card to Dartford’s rock at the heart of their defence, Henry, after he pulled Edusei back.

Edusei, however, coolly stabbed the ball to Hudson’s right with his left-foot to give Welling a deserved lead from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half.

Edusei scored his second goal for the Wings after 68 minutes, stabbing Dunphy’s drilled low cross from the right in off the right upright.

The second goal was, however, against the run of play, as Dartford tried to reduce their deficit with substitute Dave Martin causing the Wings’ defence problems with his trademark pace.

But Welling wrapped up the victory with 13 minutes left on the clock when Guest volleyed Keith Rowlands’ far-post corner past Hudson.

Dartford, however, did deserve a goal for their play, and the closest they came was when substitute Ryan Hayes’ 30-yard chip bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Welling boss Adrian Pennock told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the victory that he was pleased with the attitude of his players, after he made so many changes to his starting line-up.

“I thought it was a good run out for a lot of our players,” he said. “I thought it was a very entertaining game to be honest with you.

“It’s just a shame that their lad got sent off because really the referee could have used a bit of common sense and just give him a yellow card.

“But I’m pleased to get through to the next round - it was a good performance.”

Pennock was impressed with the three youth team players that came on during the second half - Dunphy, Gabriel Odunaike and Ian Brooke.

“Some of our players needed 90 minutes and to be fair we had three under 18’s so we’re looking to the future as well,” said Pennock.

“It’s a great opportunity to show what they can do and I thought all three of them done very well when they came on.

“The first team boys, the squad players, first half, I thought we could have done a bit better - we just defended too much.

“But we had a word at half-time and said “we have to go at them more and get more people in the box and be more attack minded” and that’s what we done.

“To be fair the first team boys done well, their attitude was spot on.”

Dartford boss Tony Burman, meanwhile, whose side have lost their last three games, felt Henry’s sending off was the turning point.

“It was definitely the turning point for me,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to  www.kentishfootball.co.uk : “They had a lot of possession but I felt in the first half we actually got stronger in the last 25 minutes and we was in control of the game but we started a little bit sloppy in the first five minutes and Anthony’s got caught and brought down the fella down and it’s a straight red card.

“I think they were a little bit stronger than us to be fair. You can’t go down to ten men, they had enough first team players out there, and all of a sudden we had three lads at the back who were 19-20, which is nice for us, and they were playing well the three of them.

“But I come here in the cup games to give everyone a game who didn’t play Saturday and I think they done ever so well.

“Disappointed but not downhearted. We came here to give everyone a game and try to go through but it wasn’t too be.”