Lewes 3-1 Welling United - We were a little bit lifeless today, admits Day

Saturday 27th March 2010

LEWES 3-1 WELLING UNITED
Blue Square South
Saturday 27th March 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from The Dripping Pan

WELLING UNITED suffered a shock away defeat to third-from-bottom side Lewes in a game where both sides had a man sent off.

Lewes went into this game without a win in their last ten league games, whilst the Wings have won their last five league games and as a result have romped into fifth-place in the Blue Square South table.

But Lewes turned the league table upside down as a brace from striker Joe Keehan and a fine strike from David Wheeler sent Wings boss Jamie Day home pointless.

Welling had to play the entire second half with ten players on the pitch as central midfielder Dean Cracknell collected a straight red-card after 42 minutes - and Lewes left-back Ross Sutton also had an early shower with seventeen minutes left.

“I generally think he’s gone for the ball,” Day said of Cracknell’s challenge, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after emerging from the second storey of the dressing room building at the characteristic Dripping Pan.

“The referee’s seen something totally different to what I have and sent him off, so it’s just one of those things that’s happened in the game and unfortunately we haven’t coped with it after that.”

The in-form Wings started poorly, and left-back Michael Deane was struggling for the 62 minutes that he was out on the pitch as Wheeler impressed down the right-flank.

Fighting for their lives in the relegation zone, Lewes handed central defender Sami El-Abd and striker Robert Gradwell their debuts, having signed the pair from Blue Square Premier side Hayes & Yeading United.

Day, unexpectedly, made one change from the side that thumped basement side Weymouth 7-1 at Park View Road in midweek.

The influential former Dartford midfielder dropped himself in favour of Luke I’Anson, who partnered Cracknell in the middle of the park for 42 minutes.

Explaining his decision, Day said: “Before the game you’ve brought in a midfielder and Crackers have done well so we thought there’s no point bringing players in if we’re not going to play them.

“I felt a little bit tired the last couple of games and thought I’ve done ok, but it’s an opportunity, maybe, to give the new players a game.”

That decision, sadly, backfired on the player-manager, who didn’t even take his place among the five substitutes.

Lewes appeared lifted by not seeing Day’s name on the teamsheet and took the game from the Wings from the first whistle.

Wheeler’s up-and-under was met by Keehan inside the Welling penalty area and the striker powered a header over the crossbar from 12-yards.

An even better chance came Lewes’ way when Chris Breach played an intelligent diagonal pass for Steven Brinkhurst down the left and his cross was hooked back across goal by Wheeler for central midfielder Jack Walder to hook the ball into Charlie Mitten’s grateful arms.

Lewes therefore deserved to open the scoring in the 15th minute when Brinkhurst’s low centre from the left rolled across goal and Keehan lashed a stunning right-footed drive into the top right-hand corner from 12-yards.

Welling almost dragged themselves into the game when right-back Sam Cutler joined an attack to find striker Jake Hobbs inside the penalty box and his lay off was met by Cracknell, who lost his footing whilst blasting the ball into the terracing behind the goal.

Just past the half-an-hour mark, a diagonal pass released Wheeler and after cutting inside Deane his low drive rolled into Mitten’s arms at his near post.

But the lacklustre Wings clawed themselves back into the game after 40 minutes.

Deane made amends for his poor first half by going on a mazy run straight down the middle of the pitch and as he faced a red and black wall in front of him he slipped the ball through to Cracknell, who was brought down by last man Anthony Barness, who was lucky to see yellow and not red.

Lee Clarke stepped up and clinically slotted a right-footed free-kick past the diving Rikki Banks straight down the middle of the goal.

But the Kent side faced a mountain to climb when Cracknell was shown a straight red card for his challenge on Jack Walder, which enraged Day, who was on the brink of being red-carded himself by referee Mr Colin Lymer.

Day made a tactical switch and for the second half as Jake Hobbs played as a lone striker, that was until he was replaced by Tom Whitnell, who joined Clarke up front.

But the game was lost when Lewes regained the lead with a fine finish after 57 minutes.

Following an another error by Deane, the ball was played low to Gradwell, who with his back to goal inside the box, laid the ball back to Wheeler, who smashed a low right-footed drive across Mitten to find the bottom far corner.

Poor Welling did fashion a couple of chances after the hour-mark when Loui Fazakerley struck a 30-yard drive, which dipped just over Banks’ crossbar and the keeper made a comfortable save from Cutler.

Lewes looked like the side that were fifth in the table, and a slick one-two involving Gradwell and Keehan resulted in Gradwell’s fierce drive stinging Mitten’s fingers, who recovered to clutch the ball from underneath his own crossbar.

Surrey based referee Mr Lymer evened things up when Sutton was shown a straight red card for bringing down Whitnell down the right-hand side, the substitute recovering following treatment.

Welling’s woe was wrapped up with thirteen minutes remaining when Wheeler cut into the penalty area and was brought down by central defender Jack Parkinson.

Keehan stepped up and emphatically lashed his right-footed penalty high into the roof of the net and at the final whistle the jubilant Lewes fans chanted “staying up!”

Day admitted the best side on the day won.

“Lewes are struggling and we wanted to get three points but games like this aren’t going to be easy,” admitted Day.

“We didn’t play very well at all. Lewes deserved to win. I don’t think it helped with getting a player sent off in the first half, but credit to them, they had a game plan, they stuck to it and I think they deserved to beat us.”

Day added: “I don’t think we started particularly well in the last three or four games and again we didn’t start well today and deserved to go one down.

“We then got ourselves back into the game but I think overall we didn’t deserve to get anything from today’s game.

“We got ourselves back into the game at 1-1 but we didn’t play with a tempo or pick up any second balls. We were a little bit lifeless today. I don’t know whether where we’ve got ourselves in the league effected us but we’ve got to bounce back now next Friday (at Braintree Town) and Monday (at home to Dover Athletic).”

Before that, however, Margate visit Park View Road in the quarter-finals of the Kent Senior Cup.

And Day revealed he will make changes to Tuesday night’s Cup tie.

“The players that have been on the bench will play, possibly one or two others will play as well and we’ll make the rest up with younger players in the reserves who are doing well - and players that need a couple of games to get a bit of fitness back,” said Day.

“It gives an opportunity for the fringe players to get some games and put something in the back of my mind for the future league games.”

With the winners travelling to Folkestone Invicta in the semi-finals (and the final could be against Cray Wanderers, Tonbridge Angels or Sittingbourne), Day was asked whether his side can go all the way and retain the silverware.

He replied: “We’re in it so we might as well have a go and see how far it can take us,”

Lewes: Rikki Banks, Anthony Barness, Ross Sutton, Andy Pearson, Jack Welder, Sami El-Badi, David Wheeler (Danny Royce 83), Chris Breach, Joe Keehan (William Peaurowz 90), Robert Gradwell, Steven Brinkhurst.
Subs: James Frazer, Kane Louis, William Peaurowz, Danny Royce, Louis Pople.

Goals: Joe Keehan 15, 77 (pen), David Wheeler 57

Booked: Anthony Barness 40, Joe Keehan 45, Danny Royce 90, Rikki Banks 90

Sent off: Ross Sutton 73

Welling United: Charlie Mitten, Sam Cutler (Joe Healy 86), Michael Deane (Carl Jenkinson 62), Dean Cracknell, Graeme Andrews, Jack Parkinson, Loui Fazakerley, Luke I’Anson, Jake Hobbs (Tom Whitnell 72), Lee Clarke, Sam Hurrell.
Subs: Michael Bakare, Andy Sambrook.

Goal: Lee Clarke 40 (pen)

Sent Off: Dean Cracknell 42

Attendance: 421
Referee: Mr Colin Lymer (Mayford, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Guy Poynter (Basingstoke, Hampshire) & Mr Michael Taylor (Alton, Hampshire)