Whyteleafe 2-0 Welling United - Wings come to terms with shocking FA Cup exit

The Ryman League Division One South hosts, playing their sixth FA Cup tie of the season, stretched their unbeaten run to seven games to dump out a Welling United side lacking in confidence.

Defender Asher Hudson and substitute Sean Rivers did the damage, with second half goals, taking their goalscoring tallies to three apiece to play a side that shouldn’t still be in the competition in the next round.

Hampton & Richmond Borough completed a smash-and-grab raid to win 1-0 at Dartford’s Princes Park Stadium at the weekend and will now host the Leafe in the penultimate qualifying round on Saturday week.

Welling United, ninth in the Blue Square South table, have now stretched their winless run to eight-games and coupled with tonight’s embarrassing defeat at a chilly Church Road, some of the fifty or so travelling supporters told the players exactly what they felt of them at the end.

Cries of “embarrassing” and “appalling” were shouted out at the final whistle and whilst they walked towards the exit, fans demanded a positive reaction during their next game, away to Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday.

One supporter tugged his home shirt towards the direction of the slumped players demanding “a bit more pride.”

With boss Andy Ford on holiday, assistant Jimmy Dack made three changes that were held to a 1-1 draw by Whyteleafe at Park View Road on Saturday.

But both sides produced an ugly match to watch, as they both resorted to long-ball tactics at every opportunity.

Leafe fans were angry at the match officials in the first half as Micky Greene and Paul Scott both had goals ruled out for offside.

Other than that, the Surrey side’s only method of trying to score, came from the dangerous in-swinging corners from full-back Steve McNamara.

Wings goalkeeper Jamie Turner took evasive action, punching one of these corners out from underneath his own crossbar - and later on Ali Reeve headed down and wide from an acute angle.

Welling took almost eighteen minutes for their first shot on target, Ellis Green drilling a left-footed shot straight into Rob Tolfrey’s arms - the son of the chairman of Kent League leaders Holmesdale.

Ryan Martin just cleared Whyteleafe’s crossbar with an angled drive and striker Charlie Sheringham fluffed his lines with a bullet header that ended up towards the corner flag then the goal.

However, Sheringham had enough changes to avoid slipping up on the banana skin, with three excellent chances all inside the first eight minutes of the second half - in Welling’s best spell of the game.

Firstly, the 20-year-old striker saw his right-footed shot loop off defender Adam Broomhead into Tolfrey’s grateful arms.

The 21-year-old goalkeeper twice denied Sheringham as he was clean through on goal, saving one shot with his legs and then plucking the right-footed lob out of the air.

Welling United pressed for the crucial opening goal and when central defender Matthew McEntegart’s thumping header went narrowly wide of the left-hand post, Whyteleafe delivered two sucker punches, against the run of play, to progress.

With 67 minutes on the clock, a slick two man move from right to left, resulted in Hudson being left in acres of space to crack a stunning right-footed drive that curled past the diving Turner to find the bottom far corner.

Whyteleafe sealed victory eight minutes later with two substitutes combining to score.

Richard Harris’ long throw caught out the Wings defence and Rivers’ looping header dropped into the bottom left-hand corner to ensure this was a “night of disappointment” for the Wings.

Dack could be heard from outside the away dressing room screaming obscenities at the Welling players as they were locked inside for at least thirty minutes.

Emerging down the steps from the dressing room area first was Andy Martin, who plays for Ryman Premier League side Maidstone United.

The Welshman, who lives locally in Caterham, watched some of his mates cause this FA Cup exit, and admitted to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards that the Surrey side deserved to win.

“I’m probably a little bit biased as I only live up the road, I’m probably in the Whyteleafe catchment area, but they thoroughly deserved it,” he said.

“I believe they deserved to win Saturday (at Park View Road) as well, but the result shows 2-0 Whyteleafe and good luck to them.”

Fearing that Dack was going to keep the players locked inside the dressing room a lot longer than he did, club secretary Barrie Hobbins admitted losing here was a big blow to the club.

Describing it as “a night of disappointment,” Mr Hobbins, also speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk , said: “We’ve had every chance to win the game. We had every chance to win the tie on Saturday and we’ve failed at the end of the day.

“We can’t make any excuses. Whyteleafe have scored three and we’ve scored one over the two ties so fair play to them.

“Considering we’re two divisions higher and therefore, on paper, better players, we should feel we should beat Whyteleafe nine times out of ten.

“I feel low every year when we get knocked out of the FA Cup and it hurts. If I didn’t hurt I shouldn’t be in the game. It’s a big disappointment. A big set-back for us.”

Mr Hobbins says supporters had every right to criticise the players for another poor performance.

“They’ve got every right to do so, they’ve paid their money twice now and seen two disappointing performances,” said the apologetic secretary.

“The supporters are entitled to see a side win every now and then. We haven’t won for eight games after going five at the start of the season unbeaten so I feel for them and I felt like joining them but we’ve got to keep our heads up and go from here.”

Hollering inside the dressing room, Dack demanded a response during their trip to Bishop’s Stortford and Mr Hobbins believes there will be one from the beleaguered side.

“I think we all need a response,” he said. “The management want a response and the players, if they’ve got any pride at all will want a response from themselves collectively because a losing run is a nightmare.

“They must have self pride and try to build self-confidence in those players to go and pick themselves up as from Saturday.”

The Wings stalwart admitted the club will be counting the financial cost of not picking up any prize money from Soho Square this season.

“I’d be not telling the truth if I said it didn’t matter - it matters a lot and it matters to all clubs,” said Mr Hobbins.

“There are clubs in our division that have also gone out to lesser sides. It’s been a set-back and not just for Welling United but half a dozen of us.

“The glamour of the Cup and the financial rewards are something you look forward to and hope it’s your day, your year, but it’s not to be and we’ve got to put it behind us now.”

Dack finally emerged from the dressing room and rued the missed chances from Sheringham that cost the club a place in the next round.

“We’ve lost the game, which is very embarrassing, but I still thought we had enough chances second half to win the game,” a fuming Dack told www.kentishfootball.co.uk  afterwards.

“Charlie Sheringham had three one-on-ones when it was 0-0. Goals win games at crucial times. I don’t know what to say really. If we don’t take the chances in the end they’re going to get one or two at the other end.

When asked what he’d like to say to the fans that vented their disappointment at the team at the final whistle, Dack replied: “I totally agree with them. No-one wants to lose games, we certainly don’t but (they’ve) got to stick with us.

“We know we’re going through a sticky time, we’re trying to work hard and get through it but what do we say?

“We’ll just keep working hard and hopefully the boys will come good. We’ve seen what they can do in the first six or seven games. It’s just a question of they’ve just lost their confidence.”

But Dack remains upbeat and insists the side will bounce back at Woodside Park on Saturday - despite low team morale.

Dack said: “Of course it is, very low, we’ve all low, I’m low. I’m trying to pick myself up and I’ve got to pick them up. I’m trying to do that but a win will do it.

“You need luck with you in football. Charlie’s had three one-on-one’s at 0-0 - goals win games.”

Whyteleafe: Rob Tolfrey, Asher Hudson, Steve McNamara, Ali Reeve, Adam Broomhead, Jason Goodchild (Michael Riley 52), Micky Green, Robert Smith, Denva McKenzie (Sean Rivers 68), Paul Scott, Ronnie Green.
Subs: Richard Harris, Cedric Kabongo, Jamie King, Alhajie Jabbie, Gavin Dilley.

Goals: Asher Hudson 67, Sean Rivers 75

Booked: Adam Broomhead 89

Welling United: Jamie Turner, Graeme Andrews, Craig Braham-Barrett, Ryan Johnson (Sonny Cobbs 86), Matthew Mcentegart, Tony Sinclair, Ellis Green, Dorian Smith, Joe Healy (Orlando Smith 68) Charlie Sheringham. Ryan Martin.
Subs: Frankie Chappell, Rob Quinn, Lee Blackburn, Chris Nurse, Sol Pinnock.

Booked: Ryan Johnson 33, Charlie Sheringham 45

Attendance: 206
Referee: Mr Carl Brook (St Leonards, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Paul Burton (Redhill, Surrey) & Mr Vince Penfold (Addlestone, Surrey)