Kentish Football

Welling United 6-1 Whitstable Town - We showed them respect and we smashed them! - Ford

Thursday 16th April 2009

WELLING UNITED 6-1 WHITSTABLE TOWN
Kent Senior Cup Final
Thursday 16th April 2009

Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road 

RUTHLESS Welling United emphatically clinched the Kent Senior Cup for the third time in their history by overcoming a spirited Whitstable Town side that were playing in this cup final for the very first time.

The Wings, who play their football two leagues above the plucky Oystermen, were clinical in front of goal, and a fine first half performance from goalkeeper David Wilkinson ensured that a shock result was averted.
 
Whitstable Town, who secured their Ryman League Division One South status last weekend, couldn’t replicate the performances that saw them dump out Tonbridge Angels (Ryman Premier League), holders Ebbsfleet United (a full-time Blue Square Premier outfit) and Wings’ Blue Square South rivals Bromley en-route to this entertaining Park View Road showdown.
 
But when Ian Pulman’s free-kick had cancelled out Charlie Sheringham’s penalty, the excellent vocal travelling fans thought their side would pull off another shock, but Welling United were just too good, and goals from Jack Parkinson (two), Lee Protheroe, Sam Hurrell and Ryan Johnson made it a comfortable win for Andy Ford’s men.
 
Welling United striker Loui Fazackerley, who caused Whitstable Town all sorts of problems with his pace, went close when his right-footed drive on the run, following a one-two with Sheringham, flew just wide.
 
But Gary Sayer’s foul on Fazackerley, after the Wings striker turned three defenders on the edge of the box with some fancy footwork, gave referee Mr David Buck – who had an excellent game – no option but to point to the spot.
 
Sheringham stepped up and smashed a right-footed spot kick straight down the middle of the goal to give Welling the lead inside the opening nine minutes.
 
But Whitstable dusted themselves down and if it wasn’t for Wilkinson in the Welling goal then they wouldn’t have gone in at the break 3-1 down.
 
Danny Tipple swung in a left-footed free-kick towards the far post and this was met by Sam Denly’s powerful header, which agonisingly bounced off the near post.
 
Moments later the hardworking Pulman was released through the heart of the Welling defence but Wilkinson pulled off his first good save to thwart the striker with his legs.
 
But the goalkeeper was beaten as Whitstable deservedly drew level after seventeen minutes.
 
Pulman stepped up and cracked a right-footed free-kick from 25-yards,  which he bent around the wall and past the goalkeeper, finding the top right hand corner.
 
One delighted Whitstable fan behind the goal stumbled over the hoardings and onto the soaking pitch to celebrate.
 
Confident Whitstable should have taken the lead just two minutes later but Dave Cory headed Jake Gess’ free-kick straight into Wilkinson’s arms.
 
What Whitstable will learn from tonight is that the higher up the league’s you go, the more clinical your opponents’ are.
 
Whitstable were level for only 213 seconds as Welling United regained the lead when left-back Parkinson cut in from the flank and drove a right-footed shot past Fewell and into the bottom near corner.
 
Welling’s right-back, Protheroe, made it 3-1 just before the half-hour rmark, unleashing a right-footed screamer from 35-yards, which flew into the top right-hand corner, leaving goalkeeper Kevin Fewell rooted to the spot.
 
After Fazackerley’s cut-back, Parkinson wanted more, and the unmarked teenager cracked a right-footed long-distanced drive which flew over.
 
Cory beat the offside trap in the 38th minute as he was played in, but Wilkinson rushed off his line to turn the right-footed shot around his near post.
 
Facing a four-man wall, Protheroe’s curling right-footed drive from thirty-yards dipped just over the near post as Welling went into the break with one hand on the trophy.
 
Whitstable Town, meanwhile, were still in the tie, and they too played some lovely football, but the sucker blow arrived in the 48th minute when Welling scored their fourth goal - ending the game as a contest.
 
Fazackerley was fouled by Denly as the ball was destined to roll out of play, but the Welling striker whipped in the resulting free-kick himself from beside the by-line and this was met by a Parkinson header at the far post, which brought a fine save from Fewell.
 
Whitstable had bodies inside the goal-mouth but couldn’t clear their lines and Parkinson’s low centre was slammed home by Sam Hurrell from six-yards.
 
Brave Whitstable were denied by the woodwork after 50 minutes. 
 
Clint Gooding released Cory down the inside left channel and he drove a left-footed shot across goal, which was retrieved by Gess, who agonisingly fired his shot against the near post.
 
Pulman then turned his marker but his left-footed shot was poor and it rolled into Wilkinson’s arms.
 
Fewell made his best save of the match after 58 minutes, keeping out a powerful header from Graham Andrews, after the Welling central defender came up to meet Fazackerley’s in-swinging corner from the left.
 
Whitstable substitute Dan Tanner swung in a 35-yard free-kick on the hour, which was met by Danny Tipple’s left-footed volley, which looped into the goalkeeper’s arms.
 
But six minutes later Welling put the game beyond doubt with a fifth goal.
 
Sheringham slid the ball through to central midfielder Ryan Johnson, who smashed a low drive through Fewell’s legs and into the net.
 
Welling substitute Ben Greenhaugh was put through the inside left-channel, but his angled drive flashed agonisingly across Fewell, just missing the foot of the far post.
 
But the substitute helped Welling to complete the rout with fourteen minutes remaining, when his corner from the left found Parkinson at the far post and his powerful drive bounced off the foot of the near post, but the versatile former VCD Athletic player reacted first to slam the rebound underneath Fewell.
 
Whitstable, whose fans outsung their Welling counterparts all night, can definitely hold their heads up high, despite their heavy defeat.
 
Boss Marc Seager received an excellent ovation from the drenched travelling supporters at the final whistle.
 
“We’ve created, apart from the goal we’ve scored, I think we’ve created four very good chances and that was the difference tonight,” Seager told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.
 
“They’ve created probably seven or eight chances and took six.  We’ve created five chances, took one.
 
“The early goal killed us a little bit, but we’ve been beaten by the better side tonight.
 
“I said before hand, they should really beat us, they’re a Conference (Blue Square) South side, full of good players and that and we knew we had to rise to the occasion.
 
“I’m so proud of the boys, I can’t ask for anymore that they’ve given me.  We beat some great sides and it’s nice to know you’ve been beaten by a good side.
 
“The scoreline, it hurts a little bit, it’s my heaviest defeat as a manager so to come here in a cup final, you wanted it to be a bit tight.
 
“I said at half-time, the next goal will be the most crucial one and they went and got it early doors.  I don’t think we defended very well tonight.  We lost possession, we gave it away and we got punished, which is what you do when you give the ball away against the good sides.”
 
Had this final been played at a neutral venue, then, maybe Welling United fans may have been up for it more and replicated the excellent support that Whitstable Town supporters’ gave their heroes.
 
Speaking about the Oysterboys, Seager added, “They’ve been great tonight, I can’t ask for any more from my players, they’ve given me everything and the supporters have given me everything.  We’ve just been beaten by a better team on the day.”
 
Seager warned Welling United boss Andy Ford that the underdogs were coming to Park View Road to cause another upset – if the Wings didn’t show them any respect.
 
But Ford did show respect, by fielding the same ten outfield players that romped to a comfortable 5-0 win at Fisher Athletic on Easter Monday.
 
The only change was forced as Wilkinson replaced the cup-tied Charlie Mitten.
 
“We’ve done a very professional job on them,” Ford told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.
 
“Marc was going on about not showing them no respect, it’s a no-win situation for us.  We’ve done a job on them and I’m glad we’ve done a professional job on them really.
 
“It’s always nice to get into a Cup Final, the fans’ enjoy it.  I think it’s more for them really.”
 
Ford added, “It’s a good way to finish the season.  We just have to put it into perspective really.  People can get carried away, I’m never one of those who gets the champagne bottle open when we win or go over board when you lose.
 
“Some people think, when you get beat, it’s the end of the world, but I’m not going to get too over (board).
 
“It was Whitstable at the end of the day, they’re two league’s below us, so you can’t take that out of context really.
 
“The movement of the (Whitstable) front players was good.  It was their little Cup Final, coming here in front of a big crowd for them, on a nice surface, so they were always going to raise their game.
 
“We showed them respect and we smashed them at the end of the day.  It just shows there’s a big gap between the two clubs – and there is!”
 
Welling United:  David Wilkinson, Lee Protheroe, Jack Parkinson, Rob Quinn (Sonny Cobbs 82), Graham Andrews, Tony Sinclair, Sanchez Ming, Ryan Johnson, Loui Fazackerley (Richard Stevens 73), Charlie Sheringham, Sam Hurrell (Ben Greenhaugh 67).
Subs: Matthew McEnteggart, Dan Loaryea.
 
Goals:  Charlie Sheringham 9 (pen), Jack Parkinson 20, 76, Lee Protheroe 30, Sam Hurrell 48, Ryan Johnson 66
 
Whitstable Town:  Kevin Fewell, Marcos Perona, Gary Sayer, Liam Quinn, Mark Munday (Jack Tanner 60), Sam Denly, Jake Gess, Clint Gooding, Dave Cory (Tom Parker 79), Ian Pulman, Danny Tipple.
Subs: James Campbell, Dan Wisker, Gareth Cornhill
 
Goal: Ian Pulman 17
 
Attendance: 617
Referee:  Mr David Buck (Istead Rise)
Assistants: Mr Stuart Butler (Maidstone) & Mr Nolan Wilde (Maidstone)
Fourth Official:  Mr Simon Finnigan (Maidstone)








 

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