Referee has probably made the right decision, says Jamie Day

WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day agreed with match referee Carl Fitch’s decision to call off their home clash against Havant & Waterlooville tonight.

The Ipswich based official deemed the Park View Road pitch frozen and officially called off the Blue Square Bet South game only 52 minutes before the scheduled kick-off.

The match had passed a local class 3 referee pitch inspection at 3:15 this afternoon, but Mr Fitch was concerned over the Danson Park end of the ground and deemed the pitch unplayable.

The Wings were eager to bounce back from their disappointing 2-0 defeat away to Weston-super-Mare at the weekend and to stretch their unbeaten league record at home, where a win tonight would have reclaimed second place from Chelmsford City.

“Obviously disappointed because we wanted to get a game on and get the Weston game out of our system,” said Day.

“But at the same time I can see the referee’s point of view that in the top corner over there it is slippery and you can’t control your feet so with the safety of players he’s probably made the right decision.”
 
The losers in such circumstances were the Havant & Waterlooville players and supporters that have travelled to Kent from Hampshire.

Day said: “We don’t want them to travel this way.  I know Shaun Gale (their manager) and he’s fine.  He’s said ‘that’s football,” it happens to other teams.  It’s part and parcel of the game, so they’re disappointed. 

“We have to re-arrange it and get it on again.”

Welling United return to Park View Road to face Farnborough on Saturday, looking to bounce back from their current blip.

The Hampshire side are presently fifth-from-bottom in the table with 26 points from 25 games, just five points above the relegation zone.

“The only good thing about tonight, it gives us a week to get some players a bit more rest time so hopefully we’ll have a bigger squad to pick from on Saturday,” said Day, whose side remain in third place with 47 points from 25 games.

“They won 4-0 (against Boreham Wood) at the weekend, they’re scrapping for points.  It won’t be an easy game.  We need to really get three points, especially playing at home.

“We’re disappointed with the last four games points wise. I don’t think it’s been a fair reflection on the games but we’re still in third position and we’re pleased with that but we need to start picking up points and cement a play-off place.”

The midfielder is proud with his side’s unbeaten league record at home, which currently stands at twelve games.

Day said: “It’s a nice record.  Obviously we want to keep it going for as long as possible and we want to improve our away form because that needs improving and needs looking at, but we’ve got seventeen games left, we probably have to win ten of them to get 77 points, I think, so that’s our aim from now until then.”

Day was then asked how he is treating their Kent Senior Cup Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com Quarter-Final tie away to their Blue Square Bet South rivals Dover Athletic next Tuesday.

Day revealed that goalkeeper John Whitehouse is expected to face one of his former clubs as he recovers from his knee injury.

“I mean the squad’s down to the bare minimum at the minute,” explained Day.

“I think in all honesty it will be a young side and a couple of players who need ninety minutes that haven’t been involved so that will be the side we’ll look to pick.

“Our main focus is obviously the league.

“I think it will be an Academy stroke reserve (side), some of our players.

“I’ll try to use John (Whitehouse) to get some 90 minutes under his belt and see where he is with his knee, so I don’t think there will be any major first teamers playing.

“John needs to get some games so the end of the month is a perfect opportunity to see where we’re at with him.”

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Welling United  v  Farnborough
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 21^st January 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Park View Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SY