Welling United 0-0 Sutton United - We came back home and finished the job off, says Jamie Day

WELLING UNITED  0-0  SUTTON UNITED
(Welling United win 2-1 on aggregate)
Blue Square Bet South Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg
Sunday 6^th May 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day says he is looking forward to the winner-takes-all Blue Square Bet (Conference) South Play-Off Final showdown at Kent rivals Dartford in seven days’ time after his side scraped past  Sutton United over two legs.

The Wings came away from Gander Green Lane last Wednesday with a 2-1 victory, thanks to Lee Clarke’s first half header and a first time left-footed flick from Joe Healy in the 73^rd minute of the first leg to give the Kent side a platform going into today’s second leg.

Sutton United enjoyed plenty of possession but it was a backs-against-the-wall defensive display from Welling United that ensured it will be a dream all-Kent final to see which club will be promoted back into the top-flight of non-league football.

Paul Doswell’s side just didn’t threaten Craig Holloway in the Welling United goal and at the final whistle seven of their players fell to the ground in despair as Welling United booked their place in the final at Dartford’s Princes Park Stadium next Sunday.

Today’s game at Welling attracted an excellent crowd of 1,408 and with 2,210 watching Dartford’s 2-1 win over Basingstoke Town (which sent Tony Burman’s side through 3-1 on aggregate) Dartford officials can look forward to attracting a full-house to Princes Park in what will be a must-watch showdown.

“The boys’ have done exceptionally well this season over 42 games.  They’ve put in a performance week in, week out,” said Day, 32.

“Over the two-legs we probably got the result on Wednesday. We’ve put in a great effort on Wednesday and come back (home).

“To be fair to Sutton they’ve had a right good go and we’ve put in a good defensive performance and got through, so I’m really pleased with the boys’.

“We knew Sutton had nothing to lose. They came here, they were a goal down so they had to be a little adventurous and tried to go for it.

“At the same time we didn’t play as well as we can do, but then probably because of Sutton’s performance that was probably the reason.

“We still had two good chances to kill the game off, but I’m pleased that we got through.”

Day, who was without the suspended Clarke, issued a rallying cry to Welling supporters to give his side passionate support and they did exactly that over the two legs.

But they didn’t have it all of their own way as Sutton United went for it and Welling United were more than happy to soak up the pressure.

Craig Dundas – who imposed himself in Sutton United’s midfield in the first leg – picked up a pass from striker Craig Watkins and pulled the trigger from the edge of the box but Day made a fine block and the ball bounced into Craig Holloway’s grateful arms.  Day then gave his left-back Jack Obersteller an ear-full for giving the ball away in a dangerous position.

A floated free-kick from Sutton winger Tony Taggart found left-back Paul Telfer unmarked at the far post but he sent a speculative over-head kick over the crossbar from 12-yards.

Sutton United called Holloway (who was accredited with an own-goal in the first leg) gathered Taggart’s left-footed half-volley at the second attempt after Day headed away Telfer’s throw.

Sutton United squandered their best chance to level the tie on aggregate in the 25^th minute when Watkins’ through ball released Romone McCrae through on goal after he sprung the Welling offside trap straight down the middle, but Holloway made a fine block at his near post and the ball spun behind him and Ben Martin was on hand to hack the ball away from inside the six-yard box.

Sutton United were forced to play their goalkeeping coach Wayne Shaw due to Kevin Scriven’s suspension and despite Shaw carrying a few extra pounds in weight Welling United didn’t trouble him until the 34^th minute.

Luis Cumbers, who passed a pre-match fitness test, cut in from the right and stroked a low right-footed shot across the portly Shaw and the ball slid agonisingly wide of the foot of the far post.

Speaking about striker Cumbers, Day added: “He had a fitness test before the game.  He took a knock on Wednesday, but again you know what you’re going to get with Luis.   Tremendous hard-work, he had one or two efforts as well.”

Welling’s first shot on target finally arrived just 28 seconds later when right-back Loui Fazakerley unleashed a low right-footed drive on the angle, which Shaw saved comfortably low down.

Day said:  “I don’t think we tested him enough. I think it was 35 minutes before we had our first proper shot on goal!  We had two good opportunities second half and he’s pulled off a great save from one of them and the other one we should’ve done better with the final pass, but I agree.  I don’t think we tested him enough, put enough crosses or shots in the box to really make it count.”

Day won the ball in midfield and fed Loick Pires, who unleashed a left-footed drive from 30-yards, which flashed well wide.

Both of Welling’s central defenders created a half-chance just before the break when Parkinson pumped a long free-kick up field and Martin glanced his header into Shaw’s hands.

Sutton United should have broken the stalemate inside the opening three minutes of the second half when they really should have scored from their seventh corner of the game.  Sutton won the corner count 13-2.

Taggart and Telfer played a one-two from a short corner and Taggart whipped in an inch-perfect cross to find Simon Downer at the near post but the central defender planted a bullet header wide from four yards.

Welling United created a couple of excellent chances to put the game beyond last season’s Ryman Premier League title winners.

Martin pumped a right-footed clearance upfield and Fazakerley’s excellent first touch with the right foot saw him cut inside Telfer at pace before stroking a low right-footed angled drive, which flashed across Shaw and wide of the foot of the far post.

But Shaw pulled off an excellent save in the 53^rd minute.

Cumbers was released down the right channel and he cut the ball across the face of the penalty area and Pires header from six-yards was destined to find the net, but Shaw got down swiftly to his left and kept the ball out with a strong left hand to block.

Welling United were hanging on and we still had half-an-hour left of the game remaining. 

Stefan Payne looked lively when he came off the bench to lead the Sutton line and his hook released Watkins who was left free on the edge of the Welling penalty area but his fierce drive was beaten out by Holloway and Taggart’s follow-up drive deflected off Obersteller’s head and out for yet another corner.

Sutton’s finishing in front of goal was woeful today. Watkins blasted a left-footed volley high over the crossbar from 20-yards, and former Welling United midfielder Anthony Riviere suffered the same fate as did substitute Bradley Woods-Garness.

Welling United were defending resiliently with bodies back as Sutton United (who by this time were playing with an attack minded team) kept on pressing and they threw the kitchen sink at the Welling team, without really threatening Holloway again.

Day added:  “Sutton came here today and tried to win the game so they were excellent today and put in a good performance and Paul Doswell’s proud of his boys on what his boys have achieved this season getting into the play-offs and in fairness he was probably a bit unlucky today but again we’ve defended really well and if you do that then you put yourself in a good position.”

Sutton United missed a gilt-edged chance in the fifth minute of time added on when the ball came in from the right and found Watkins unmarked at the far post and with the home fans’ fearing the worst, the Sutton striker smashed a right-footed shot into the side netting from eight-yards.

Day was pleased that his defence have kept their seventh clean sheet in their last ten games.

“We know we’ve got good players here that can keep clean sheets,” said Day.

“At the start of the season we didn’t do that as a squad, not just the back four, but I think the boys’ have shown in the last two months we’ve kept a good number of clean sheets and they’ve shown that today.

“I thought the two centre halves done well. I thought the whole back four put in a decent performance. I don’t like signalling out people because I think the whole squad put a decent effort in.  Even the boys’ who came on.  I’m pleased with every single one of them.”

Healy, who was kept quiet by Sutton United right-back Michael Boateng, who didn’t get up the flank as much today as he did in the first leg, basically won the tie for Welling United on Sutton soil.

Day said: “It was a difficult away game, but I think we done most of the work there and today we came back here and just finished the job off.

“To be fair to Sutton they’ve done exceptionally well.  They put in a good performance today and we had to work hard for it over two games, apart from 45 minutes on Wednesday we had to put in a good shift, a good work-rate, a good effort and a little bit of quality at times and defend like we did today to get through.”

Day left Princes Park when he took over from Andy Ford  at Park View Road back in November 2009 and he, like the rest of us, is looking forward to the big play-off final.

“It’s one to look forward to.  I know it will be a decent game now because of being two Kent clubs.   There will be a fair number of people there so we’re looking forward to it.

“Obviously we haven’t achieved anything yet.  We need to work hard in the week (training next Wednesday and Friday) and hopefully we can get a result next Sunday.”

Welling United: Craig Holloway, Loui Fazakerley, Jack Obersteller (Scott Kinch 70), Jamie Day, Ben Martin, Jack Parkinson, Dean Cracknell, Andy Sambrook, Luis Cumbers, Joe Healy (Harry Baker 73), Loick Pires.
Subs: Anthony Acheampong, Ben Greenhalgh, Jamie Turner

Booked: Jack Parkinson 25, Andy Sambrook 43, Loui Fazakerley 84, Loick Pires 90

Sutton United: Wayne Shaw, Michael Boateng, Paul Telfer, Craig Dundas, Simon Downer, Sam Page, Anthony Riviere, Romone McCrae (Stefan Payne 59), Craig Watkins, Harry Beautyman (Bradley Woods-Garness 76), Tony Taggart (Osa Obamwonyi 76).
Subs: Leroy Griffiths, Craig Braham-Barrett

Booked: Osa Obamwonyi 87

Attendance: 1,408
Referee: Mr Brett Huxtable (Torrington, Devon)
Assistants: Mr Sam Purkiss (Highbury, London N5) & Mr Chris Pollard (Stowmarket, Suffolk)
Fourth Official:  Mr Mark Pottage (Gillingham, Dorset)