Herne Bay 1-3 Welling United - We need big gates to keep my squad together, says Day

Saturday 10th July 2010

HERNE BAY 1-3 WELLING UNITED
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 10th July 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Winch’s Field

WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day says he is pleased with the strikeforce that he has at his disposal - but warned he might not be able to keep all five at Park View Road.

Fielding a total number of five strikers, three of them, James Lawson, Luis Cumbers and Tommy Whitnell all opened their goalscoring accounts for the new season. Andy Pugh, however, didn’t, and Joe Healy slotted into midfield.

As expected, both managers made 10 changes at the break, with both side’s goalkeepers getting through 90 minutes. Welling United used 21 players, whilst the Kent League hosts got through 24.

Herne Bay boss, Simon Halsey, meanwhile, declined to hand Jimmy Corbett, 29, his club debut, citing that the former Gillingham, Blackburn Rovers star wasn’t fit to take to the field against Blue Square Bet South opposition.

Both side’s opening pre-season warm-ups was played in scorching temperatures, and this obviously had an effect on Herne Bay’s players, as Halsey admitted to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“I learnt from the game why they are three league above us,” he said. “They’re sharper, quicker, they’re fitness was a lot better than ours, but you expect that from a Conference South side.

“They’ve come back the same time as us but the difference is that they’re lads have been on their break and have looked after themselves. They’ve come back 75-80% fit and just really tuning it up a bit and now you can see that’s the difference.

“Technically some of my players are as good as them, but you can just see they look after themselves through the week, not just leading up to the match day on a Saturday.

“That’s the main difference, but we knew that was how it was going to be.

“When we got the ball, I don’t think we done enough with it because, again, that’s just down to being (un)fit.

“For the first 10-15 minutes, fine, but then all of a sudden, it just pulled out of you and it’s just gone, nothing left, so in that respect I know what we was going to get but the good thing when we did get the ball we didn’t execute what I wanted them to do. We still kept trying so that was the positive out of it.

“To be honest, it was too early playing a team like that. I know Frosty (Welling coach Dean Frost) well and that’s the only day he could’ve given us so I thought let’s get the game’s under way. I can do us nothing but good, so I’m very pleased.”

Welling United broke the deadlock after 30 turgid minutes, through route-one football.

Goalkeeper Charlie Mitten launched a long clearance up field and this was met by a sweet right-footed volley from 30-yards by Lawson, and the ball flew past Dan Eason into the corner of the net.

The Wings doubled their lead within four minutes when a quickly taken free-kick from right-back Jamie Coyle found left-back Jack Obersteller in space and he had time and space to drive his shot towards goal, which took a wicked deflection to deceive Eason and Cumbers couldn’t miss from inches from the goal-line.

Mitten’s first save of the half was routine, catching the ball to his right after Herne Bay’s slender frontman Byron Walker cut in from the left flank and tried his luck from 25-yards.

Cumbers was on the end of a strong challenge from Dan Lawrence and following a shout of “Kent League tackle” from the travelling contingent behind the goal, Eason pulled off a fine save to tip Lawson’s curling free-kick around the post.

Battling Herne Bay pulled a goal back with the last kick of the first half.

Dan Lawrence got the better of Obersteller and sent over a cross towards the far post where Ben Brown was lurking and he smashed a low shot across Mitten to find the bottom far corner.

Following the interval changes, Herne Bay almost snatched an equaliser on the hour-mark when striker Stuart King wriggled his way through the Welling defence and stabbed his shot agonisingly against the near post.

But fitter Welling took a stranglehold on the game and following a poor clearance out of defence, Junior Alabi stroked the ball through to Andy Pugh, but the former Gillingham striker was denied when Eason tipped the lob around his post.

Welling had to wait until the 67th minute for their third goal.

Left-back, Kane Rice, opened up the Herne Bay defence with a through ball and Tommy Whitnell’s pace took him easily past defender Steve Hanson (who looked off the pace after returning from holiday last night) and slotted the ball past Eason to roll the ball into an empty net.

Welling had a fourth goal ruled out in the final fifteen minutes when Loui Fazakerley floated in a cross towards the far post Alabi powered his header against the crossbar.

Day, who sprayed the ball around during the 45 minutes that he was out on the pitch during the first half, told www.kentishfootball.co.uk how pleased he was with the work-out.

“I was pleased with the work-out,” he said. “I thought we passed the ball and moved the ball really well first half and second half.

“It was a good fitness for the boys and yes, I thought we got a lot out of it, so I’m pleased with the first game and looking forward to Tuesday.”

Welling United lock horns with Charlton Athletic at Park View Road on Tuesday night and can also look forward to home games against Millwall (20 July) and Arsenal (24 July).

Day insisted that all three games have to be well-supported to keep the players on show today at the club.

“We need to get decent gates for those, the more people we get from our home games the more that goes on the budget for next season,” explained Day.

“Looking at the squad today, we had 20 players. I’d like to keep all 20 if we can. It all depends on what happens pre-season. If we can get a sponsor (Welling were without a sponsor throughout last season) and things like that, we’ll have to wait and see.

“If possible, I’d like to keep all of them, but I know that won’t be the case. I’d have to narrow it down to, at best, 18, so we’ve got some tough decisions to make in the next couple of weeks.

“If the money from the gates is good and we can keep a few more than we’ll look to do that, but I think realistically we’ve got to be looking to have a squad of 18. It could even be down to 16, I’m not quite sure.”

Whilst Halsey has kept faith with last season’s squad (minus Darren Marsden, who is on trial with the Wings and played the entire second half in midfield, and Neil Perkins, who cannot commit through work commitments) that took them to runners-up in the Kent League, he hopes that Corbett will re-gain his fitness.

He said: “Jimmy Corbett’s been down here this morning running and I said to you before if I can get him fit, it will be a massive signing for us.

“He’s getting that way, he’s really keen. He’s running, he’s doing as much as he can away from the club and training sessions. He’s doing his own work and hopefully he can have 45 minutes (against Lewisham Borough) next Saturday.”

When asked why Corbett didn’t play against one of his former clubs today, Halsey replied, “He’s not there (fit) yet. I don’t want to put him on there and he’s not ready. I’d rather wait another week, get Tuesday and Thursday’s training sessions under his belt and hopefully get 45 minutes on Saturday. When he’s fit, it’ll be a massive signing for us.”

Herne Bay: Dan Eason, Nathan Eastwood (Simon Moore 46), Shaun Bremner (Sam Kettle 46), Sam Baker (Scott Cronin 46), Ross Brown (Steve Hanson 46, Stephen Gilbert 71), David Crofts (Simon Brown 46), Dan Lawrence (Louis Valencia 46), Joe Nelder (Simon King 46, Luke Potter 81), Ben Brown (Stuart King 46), Byron Walker (Rob Lawrence 46), Rhys Lawson (Jake Gess 46).

Goal: Ben Brown 45

Welling United: Charlie Mitten, Jamie Coyle (Femi Omogbehin 46), Jack Obersteller (Kane Rice 46), Jamie Day (Darren Marsden 46), Graeme Andrews (Anthony Achempong 46), Andy Sambrook (Jack Parkinson 46), Dean Mason (Loui Fazakerley 46), Joe Healy (Jordan Johnson 46), James Lawson (Tommy Whitnell 46), Luis Cumbers (Andy Pugh 46), Junior Dadson (Junior Alabi 46).

Goals: James Lawson 30, Luis Cumbers 34, Tommy Whitnell 67

Attendance: 300
Referee: Mr Michael McCoy
Assistants: Mr Michael Marsh & Mr Daniel Bonneywell