Welling United 3-1 Havant & Waterlooville - I hope our remaining games aren't dramatic as this - Day

Tuesday 21st February 2012

WELLING UNITED 3-1 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE
Blue Square Bet South
Tuesday 21^st February 2012
Mike Green reports from Park View Road

A SENSATIONAL final five minutes preserved Welling United's unbeaten home record on a night of controversy and high drama at Park View Road.

A goal behind within 81 seconds of kick off, the Wings gave their boss Jamie Day (suspended from this game and sitting behind the home dug-out in the stand) some really nervous moments before a storming finale saw the Wings take all three points.

Craig Holloway had barely hung his towel on the net, before the debut making keeper was beaten - a firm header by Perry Ryan giving Holloway no chance after just 81 seconds.

Indeed it was a goal that left the Wings boss fuming. Day said, "We said before hand that we needed a fast start and get out of the blocks with a high tempo and get the rustiness out of us but then we go a goal down inside the first two minutes.

“Sloppy marking at a needless free kick and we concede, but in fairness in the first half we got what we deserved. We didn't play well and didn't deserve to be in the lead or on level terms - we didn't play well at all and then second half we've had a bit of a go and for 20 minutes and got back into it and then in the last 20 minutes we showed what we can do.

“I know that they had ten men and it was difficult as we've still got to break them down and score the goals which we did.

“I Really felt for Craig - no keeper wants to do that. I felt that all the "new" boys and Ben (Greenhaugh) making his first start of the season all had an impact on the game and it now shows that we can rotate the squad around."

Indeed, Greenhaugh's first real impression almost saw the home side equalise on 8 minutes.

A mazy run down the left saw the youngster's cross agonisingly drift onto the bar with Luis Cumbers waiting underneath to pounce, but the ball had other ideas dropping behind the Welling striker and Havant we able to clear.

The ugly side that is currently blighting football reared its head on 14 minutes, when Havant & Waterlooville striker Scott James was extremely fortunate to "only" receive a yellow card from referee Brook for what at very best can be described as an ugly lunge on Loui Fazackerley that saw the Welling full back needing nearly four minutes of treatment before leaving Park View Road a stretcher and before being whisked off to hospital.

Welling boss Day was far from impressed, "There were a few decisions that weren't dealt with properly, even for the penalty. In my opinion, the lad should have been booked again but we're not going to worry about that now. All I'll say is that there were some tackles that should have been dealt with better than they were.

“We were patient in the second half and showed what we can do when we get the ball down and play!"

The game developed into a midfield battle with the home side testing Havant & Waterlooville keeper Lyall Beazley on 25 minutes when after the keeper had punched the ball clear of Loick Pires.

Scott Kinch (on for the unfortunate Fazackerley) hooked the ball goalwards only for Beazley to grab the ball as his back crashed into the left post.

It was the stroke of half time before the home side created their next chance and realistically they should have equalised.

Dean Cracknell's free kick into the visitors’ box caused problems and as the ball bounced Lee Clarke swivelled only to smash the ball high over the bar.

It was to be Cracknell's last involvement as he was replaced by Harry Baker allowing the Wings to kick down the Park View Road slope with natural width, as the game turned on an incident in first half stoppage time.

Jones challenged Ben Martin for the ball down the right and went to ground. Referee Brook gave Welling the free kick and caution Jones for "simulation" which meant that perhaps 31 minutes later than he could have been, the Havant & Waterlooville number nine was shown a red card.

On 55 minutes there was a potential flash point when Beazley half spilled Cumbers header (from Greenhaugh's cross) and as the keeper smothered the ball, Kinch's long legs caught the keeper for which the Welling substitute was quite correctly booked, amid quote unsavoury scenes as players squared up to each other in the Havant 18 yard box.

Greenhaugh and Pires then combined for Pires to fire in a low angled drive that Beazley did brilliantly well to tip on to his near post before the keeper pulled off a near miraculous block to deny Pires on 71 minutes.

Cumbers sprinted clear down the left channel before squaring for Clarke. The Welling skipper stubbed his shot but the ball ran through to Pires whose prodded shot from four yards was somehow deflected over the bar by the visiting keeper - a save that left Day almost speechless.

He said, "It was a great save, but before that I don't think that we'd created anywhere near enough. You think about it and then what followed, I'm just so happy that we were able to kick on and get another two."

The Welling boss was referring to the 85th minute incident that saw the Wings finally deservedly equalise - but only just.

The ball was played into Pires, who was unceremoniously dumped to the deck by Sam Pearce giving referee Brook little choice than to point to the spot; Pearce was however very fortunate not to receive a second caution for the challenge, but he paid the ultimate price despite the best efforts of his keeper, for as Clarke stepped up, Beazley made a stunning block low to his left.

Sadly for the keeper, Baker was following up and gleefully slammed the ball into the net.

The home side had their tails up and were in front less than a minute later with a contender for "goal of the season".

Cumbers powered down the left before squaring the ball 25 yards out. Pires threw an outrageous dummy which allowed Greenhaugh the half yard of space he needed before thundering a drive beyond a statuesque Beazley into the bottom corner of the net.

A sombre Park View Road was suddenly partying, and it got even louder in stoppage time.

Again Greenhaugh (who was outstanding throughout) powered into the box before blasting the ball past the keeper before drilling the ball against both posts and as it rebounded off the far post Cumbers was on hand to tap the ball into the net for a goal that his efforts definitely deserved.

After the game, Day was enthused over his teams eventual performance, but particularly for Greenhaugh's contribution. "He's done well - he's influenced games that he’s come in on and again today, he's started really well; faded out a little bit and then in the last 15- 20 minutes showed what he can do - we know he's got ability; you don't get a contract from Inter Milan if you haven't got ability.

“It’s now down to him to perform like that and do it week in week out."

Day then admitted "Our system didn't work first half, so we went four-four-two in the second half from where we had two out and out wide players who have got pace and plenty more to offer. It helped us go on and win the game.

“I hope that the remaining games that we need to win to make the Play Offs aren't going to be as dramatic as that. We've got a mini season now of fifteen games and I think that we need to win seven or eight to reach the post season.

“The season starts now and we've got 15 games to put it right and if we can win half of them we should be OK. I don't want us to do what we did last year and fade away badly at the end and miss out. We've been up there all year and we want to stay in there now."

Welling now face a Play-off six-pointer and Kent derby at the weekend, with a trip to Crabble to face an inform Dover Athletic, with manager Day in no doubt of the task facing his charges at 3:00pm Saturday afternoon.

"Nicky (Forster) and Browny (Steve Brown) have started turning it round down at Dover and it’s always a difficult place for visiting teams to go anyway. The lads have got a good win tonight to give us some confidence going down there for what we know is going to be a very tough and difficult afternoon.”

Welling United: Craig Holloway, Loui Fazackerley (Scott Kinch 17), Jack Obersteller, Andy Sambrook, Anthony Acheampong, Ben Martin, Dean Cracknel (Harry Baker 46), Lee Clarke, Luis Cumbers, Ben Greenhaugh, Loick Pires.
Subs: Ryan Flack, Jack Kensington, Harry Cullum

Goals: Harry Baker 85, Ben Greenhaugh 86, Luis Cumbers 90

Booked: Luis Cumbers 60

Havant & Waterlooville: Lyall Beazley, Jake Newton, Chris Arthur, Paul Hinshellwood, Ryan Woodford, Sam Pearce, Sammy Igoe, Steve Ramsey (Craig Graham Barrett 72), Scott Jones, Ollie Palmer (Chemal Fenelon 80), Perry Ryan (Bobby Hopkinson 90).
Subs: Jon McDonald, Chris Holland

Goal: Perry Ryan 2

Booked: Scott Jones 14, Paul Hinshellwood 47, Steve Ramsey 53, Sam Pearce 68, Sammy Igoe 86

Sent Off: Scott Jones 45

Attendance: 384
Referee: Mr Carl Brook (St Leonards, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Matthew Goldsmith (Hastings, East Sussex) and Mr David Spain (Westfield, East Sussex)