welling050805

Thursday 01st September 2005

Wings ready for St Albans opener

Friday 5th August 2005	Pre-Season Friendly	Stephen McCartney reports from the Courage Stadium, Hayes Lane
Bromley	0
Welling United	2	Steve Perkins 22,81

Welling United manager Adrian Pennock insists they are ready for their Nationwide Conference South opener against St Albans City next Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Wings completed their pre-season programme with a 2-0 victory at Ryman Premier League newcomers Bromley, with Steve Perkins netting a brace.

Bromley have spent at least £60,000 on an impressive new playing surface at their Hayes Lane ground.

With more ground improvements currently underway, with a new clubhouse being built behind the main stand, expected to be finished within a year, and with their new floodlights only 12 months old, the club are certainly prepared for higher league football.

Bromley still have three pre-season friendlies to play, against Tonbridge Angels (home on Tuesday night), Cray Wanderers (13th August) and at Croydon Athletic (16th), before they kick off their league campaign with a home clash against Chelmsford City on the 20th August.

But the Wings' are ready for their big kick-off.

They have played seven pre-season matches, with only one defeat, which was an embarrassing 8-1 home defeat to Nationwide Conference newcomers, Grays Athletic.

But they started off with an impressive 1-1 draw against a full-strength Charlton Athletic side, and have beaten Herne Bay and Stevenage Borough 2-0, and responded to their Grays defeat by beating Erith Town (9-0) and a young Gillingham side (4-1) before defeating Bromley.

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk, Pennock was pleased his side finished their pre-season campaign with a win.

"I think we are ready," he said. "It was a good test for us tonight. I thought they were decent and they done really well, the pitch was obviously very nice.

"The biggest thing for us tonight was not having any more injuries."

Former Margate striker, Che Stadhart picked up an injury during the Gills' game, and is their only doubt for their first league game.

"Che is a bit of a blow, everyone else has come through unscathed.

"Che took a bad tackle against Gillingham. It's his knee, it's turned, possible medial ligaments, but we'll know more on Monday, so fingers crossed on that one," said the Gillingham based manager.

Pennock, however, is happy with his players fitness. "Results in pre-season don't bother me at all, it's all about fitness and to be fair to the boys they look very fit. They've worked hard, it's been a good pre-season and I can't wait for next Saturday."

When asked if the Wings will do well this season, Pennock replied: "Time will tell. This is where we want to dig our teeth. We really want to do well at the end of the day. Against St Albans, that's where we earn our money."

Scoring two goals against Bromley goalkeeper Andy Walker was Steve Perkins, and Pennock explained the players' background.

"I've known him for a while, he's a good player and I like him a lot. And that's why he's come to the club.

"He's been away for a year, similar to Rob Owen. He's been back packing in Australia. He phoned me up saying he wants to come and join us. To be fair he hasn't played for over a year, he's done well, scoring twice, and he gives me another option."

And Pennock revealed he has signed trialist, Daniel Moore and former Gills' youngster Darren Marsden.

"We've just put Daniel Moore on a non-contract," he revealed. "He's only 23, he's got loads of pace and great ability. He's done really well this pre-season.

"Darren Marsden has just come out of Gillingham. He's an accomplished player, a young lad, only 19 or 20, and we've put him on a contract.

"I am going to speak to the other (trialists) this week and then decide what I'm going to do."

Welling will be training next Monday and Wednesday and Pennock and his assistant, Phil Hanford will be casting an eye on St Albans, Histon and Weston-super-Mare, the three sides they face in their opening three fixtures.

Both goalkeepers were tested in the opening ten minutes of this local derby. Wings' new signing from Tonbridge Angels, Jamie Turner, did well go block Adolph Amoako's shot, and at the other end, Andy Walker saved Adrian Clarke's 28-yard free kick.

After the visitors hit the post, they took the lead in the 22nd minute. Former Margate midfielder, Adrian Clarke delivered a corner towards the far post, which was met by Perkins inside a crowded six-yard box, planting his header into the net.

Later in the first half, Allan McLeod drove a cross into the Welling penalty area but Nic McDonnell headed into Turner's arms from 16 yards.

Both sides had good chances just before the break. Amoako went close with a header, which just flew over Turner's bar, and Welling's James Pinnock hit an angled drive, which was smothered by Walker. Then Rob Owen sent in a cross, which was met by an unmarked Danny Kedwell, whose header from 8 yards went over.

Amoako and McDonnell were replaced at the break by Fraser Logan and Wade Falana, and it was the latter whose looping header was saved early on by Turner.

Welling had early chances, too. Lee Gledhill dragged a drive wide of the far post and Jamie Day's long range shot was inches away.

Bromley then carved out two good chances to equalise, but Logan was thwarted by Turner, when he only had the goalkeeper to beat but Falana came the closest, when he steered McLeod's cross against the crossbar.

But when Perkins fired Welling into a 2-0 lead with nine minutes left, firing past Walker and finding the bottom far corner of the net, Bromley's joint-manager, Billy Smith admitted to being pleased with his team's performance against higher league opponents.

"I've got to be honest, tonight was our best game," he said after the game.

"Playing against a decent team and I thought the signs were quite good."

Bromley, however, have seen their already small squad, depleted by pre-season injuries to Colin Luckett, Gavin McGowan and Tutu Henriques.

"The squad is small and we've picked up a few injuries at the moment. We may have to get an extra one or two in there. If we can have 16 decent players I'll be happy with that," admits Smith.

But Bromley have been boosted with the return to fitness of their influential captain, and ball winning defender, Mark Willy.

Missing last season due to a leg injury, which was sustained in a pre-season friendly against Windsor & Eton, 12 months ago, the former Wimbledon FC and Cray Wanderers' defender is definitely in Smith's plans.

"Tonight was his best game, he's getting in his tackles. But we've (also) got Tutu (Henquires), Gavin McGowan and Colin Luckett to come back in.

"We've got some decent players who are injured at the moment."

And summer signing's Nic McDonnell and Des Boateng impressed on their home debuts, having signed from Carshalton Athletic.

"I think people watching today could see they are decent players, and hopefully they'll get a few goals for us as well," Smith added.

Jason Long, however, is pondering whether to move to Bromley or Ashford Town, and the future of top striker, Adolph Amoako, whose netted 61 goals in three seasons for the Ravens, still, remains unclear.

Amoako, who netted 20 goals last season, was not in favour under Smith/Wakeling, has played three times for their Ryman Premier League rivals, Walton & Hersham, and Smith explains the young striker's situation.

"We gave the left back, Jason Long 20-25 minutes. He didn't know anybody but I thought he done quite well.

"They're all fitting in, we've got a good club atmosphere at the moment.

"Well, Adolph is like 99% of the players here, they're free agents, and very much like Jason Long, whose between us and Ashford Town, Adolph is just having a look around.

"He'll see we've got one or two different forwards, we've got another one maybe to come in as well, and I think he'll keep his options open. I thought Adolph played really well in the first half - that's the best he's played."

However, there will be uproar if the former Crystal Palace youth team striker is forced to leave Hayes Lane to Walton & Hersham, especially if he scores for the Swans when the two clubs meet at Stompond Lane in the second game of the season (24th August).

Smith, however, is keeping the identity of the new striker under wraps.

Another new signing is goalkeeping coach Ron Wilson, and he will be working with one of the best goalkeepers in Kent football, Andy Walker.

The former Wingate & Finchley stopper kept 21 clean sheets last season, which certainly helped Bromley secure promotion via the play-off's.

"Ron's worked for me for years," revealed Smith. "He was at Kingstonian, Carshalton and Crawley with me.

"He's got the best out of the goalkeeper's I've had, and Andy Little and Stuart Searle, who are all decent goalkeepers have all improved under him and hopefully Andy will do the same."

Andrew Martin has been released, Steve Percival (holiday) and livewire striker, Henry Darko, who began his career in Austria, most recently playing in the city of Graz, didn't play as the Hayes Lane club are currently waiting for International clearance.

Play-off heroes, Danny Carroll and Sam Okafor won't be playing much, if at all this season due to promotion at work and no-one is quite sure of experienced striker, Mark Tompkins' future.

Bromley: Andy Walker, Steve Potterill, Allan McLeod, Joe Vines, Mark Willy, Des Boateng, Gary Drewett, Adam Locke, Nic McDonnell, Adolph Amoako, Kevin George. Subs: Wade Falana, Fraser Logan, Tom Stradwick, Bill Richardson, Chris Chin, Andy Silk, Jason Long, Darren Ibrahim (GK)

Welling United: Jamie Turner, Lee Gledhill, Lew Watts, Lee Shearer, Chris Moore, Steve Perkins, Adrian Clarke, Danny Kedwell, Rob Owen, James Pinnock, Jamie Day. Subs: Darren Marsden, Daniel Lawson, Barry Gardner, Lee Hockey, Daniel Moore

Referee: S Beck
Assistants: D Colvin & P Seller