It's not going to be easy just because we're at home, warns Welling United boss Jamie Day

WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day says his side must match Thamesmead Town’s work-rate if they are to progress into the FA Carlsberg Trophy First Round on Tuesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.



Day was disappointed that his Blue Square Bet (Conference) South side conceded a last-gasp goal during their 2-2 draw at Bayliss Avenue in yesterday’s Third Qualifying Round tie.

But lower-league sides tend to only get one chance to upset higher-league clubs and Day feels his side have enough quality in their ranks to replicate last season, when they took Conference Premier giants Luton Town to two games in last season’s First Round.

“It’s not going to be easy, don’t get me wrong, just because we’re at home and it’s a better surface, we’re not thinking that we’ve won the game,” said Day.

“We need to raise it a little bit than we did yesterday.  We know we have more quality than they have. I’m not being disrespectful.  As long as we put in a performance on Tuesday, hopefully we can get through.”

Day admitted he knew Keith McMahon’s Ryman League Division One North side would raise their game against their neighbours on home soil yesterday.

He said:  “We know their players and they know us as well.  They’ve seen us play (against Salisbury City).  I think being at home for them was a massive advantage.  I’m not surprised.  If anything, I think they probably played a little bit above themselves and I would’ve expected that.   We move on to Tuesday and hopefully we get a win.”

But Day knows that Ryman League Division One North clubs can produce giant-killing acts.

“Redbridge beat Ebbsfleet (in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round) so it can be done,” warned the Welling boss.

“I’m not saying we’ve got the divine right to beat them.  If we don’t prepare properly and put in the work-rate and the effort that’s needed we’ll get beaten on Tuesday so we need to come in focused and hopefully get a win.”

Having been knocked out of The FA Cup at the first hurdle by their Kent rivals Bromley, who went on to a lucrative First Round trip to Leyton Orient earlier this month, Day knows the importance of winning Tuesday night’s replay with £4,000 in prize money up for grabs.

He said:  “Obviously there’s prize money at stake, which we want, so we want to get through this round and we want to put ourselves into the next round and hopefully get through and see who we get.

“If we win on Tuesday it’s worked out perfectly.  We get gate receipts from both games and the prize money as well.”

Visit Welling United’s website: www.wellingunited.com  

Welling United  v  Thamesmead Town
FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 29^th November 2011
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Park View Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SY