Welling United 0-0 Thurrock - I need money to bring success, says Ford

The Wings played out a goal-less draw with relegation threatened Thurrock at a wet Park View Road this afternoon, as their league campaign appears to be ending on a sour note.

Following today’s stalemate, the Wings remain in eighth place in the Blue Square South table with 59 points from 38 games - 12 points adrift of fifth placed side Chelmsford City.

A disappointed Ford, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, says he is casting his eye on his playing staff as he prepares for next season - and spoke about the financial situation at the Park View Road club.

“These last few games, it’s funny, they can influence the decisions you make sometimes,” he said. “There will be players that won’t stay and there will be players that we want to keep.

“It is down to, at the end of the day, the chairman’s got to come up with a budget to start offering players and at this moment in time that’s what I’m waiting for.

“I believe there’s going to be cuts, most clubs will have to take cuts I think, that’s where we are at this very moment in time, waiting and see what we’ve got to play with and then we can start offering deals to people.

“We’ve gone up and down a little bit with the budget over the season, but Barrie (Hobbins) has been very good and the supporters have been very good here, because they’ve given me about £300 every week all the way through the season and that has been fantastic, that has given me an extra player for the squad.

“But unfortunately we’ve dried them, bankrupted them, not bankrupted them, emptied their bank account doing it.

“But I’d like to thank them personally for what they’ve done this season and I’m sure (the credit crunch) will affect some teams.

“There will be teams within this area that it won’t affect, not naming any, but the successful ones will be the ones with the bigger budget, but that is the way football is.”

Thurrock, going into this game sitting third-from-bottom, appeared to be rejuvenated in their bid to beat the drop, following the news this week that Team Bath will be resigning from the Blue Square South at the end of the season.

History tells us that teams that finish in the highest relegation spot are given a reprieve if teams are forced to resign from divisions due to off-the-field issues.

And with the prospect of Welling United missing out on the play-off’s this season certainly effected the home faithful - as fans behind the goal didn’t muster one chant between them all game.

Starting the game on the front foot, Thurrock called Wings’ goalkeeper Charlie Mitten into a fine fingertip save after seven minutes.

Two driven shots were blocked by the Welling defence before the ball was cut back to Phil Anderson, and the attacking left-back unleashed a fierce left-footed drive from 25-yards, which was tipped over by Mitten from just underneath his crossbar.

Welling United’s fluency was disrupted when set-piece taker Lee Blackburn was stretchered off with an ankle injury early on and Ford was forced to shuffle his pack, changing his formation from 3-5-2 back to 4-4-2.

Mitten was at the right place at the time when big central defender Rob Swine flicked Lee Flynn’s free-kick towards goal.

It took the home side twenty minutes to create their first opportunity, although Thurrock goalkeeper Joe Woodley had one of his quieter games.

Jack Parkinson, who moved from central midfield to left-back following Blackburn’s early withdrawal, saw his free-kick flicked on by Charlie Sheringham and the ball dropped to his strike partner Moses Ademola, who flashed his shot across the goalkeeper and past the far post.

The struggling Essex visitors’ were creating the better of the half-chances and former Welling striker Che Stadhart poked the ball to striker David Bryant, but his left-footed drive from 25-yards flew over.

An off-colour Ademola wasted an opportunity when Sanchez Ming released him through the middle but his 25-yard shot took a deflection before sailing wide.

Mitten pulled off his second fine save of the first half inside stoppage time when he back peddled to tip Leon Lalite’s angled right-footed curling free-kick just over his bar.

Welling did carve out one decent chance before the break when Sheringham, who was flattened in the process, flicked the ball for Ademola, who found Ryan Johnson unmarked on the edge of the area, but the midfielder lashed his left-footed 20-yard drive over.

Thurrock worryingly got in behind the Welling defence as they almost scored a controversial 50^th minute goal.

Welling defender Tony Sinclair was flattened but play was allowed to continue and slick one-touch passing in and around the Welling penalty area, involving Lalite and Stadhart released Bryant, who drilled his shot towards the near post, but Mitten’s legs saved the day.

Thurrock went close again eight minutes later when Stadhart held off his marker before setting up Bryant, who found Anderson in space, but his left-footed angled drive flashed across the diving Mitten and just past the far post.

However, the introduction of Loui Fazackerley down the right lifted Welling and they thought they had completed a 66^th minute smash-and-grab raid - only to be denied by Anthony Rawlings’ offside flag.

Fazackerley exchanged a one-two with right-back Lee Protheroe, who had earlier replaced Blackburn, and was released down the right before his cross was met by a left-footed volley from Ryan Johnson, which left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot as the ball flew into the roof of the net - but the flag cut short the celebrations.

Thurrock goalkeeper Woodley was finally called into action after 75 minutes when he slid low to his right to prevent Rob Quinn sliding the ball inside the bottom near corner, following Johnson’s slick pass.

Thurrock substitute Tchokounte Malik could've on it three minutes later when he controlled Lalite’s cut-back with his left-foot, before cracking a right-footed shot from 25-yards, which whistled just past the right-hand post.

Ford admitted afterwards that it was a poor performance from his flagging side.

“I think the only positive to really take out was a clean sheet,” he said. “But I think they could’ve scored one or two. We didn’t really test their goalkeeper today.

“I felt the lads didn’t put a shift in today. Some of the lads did though, I thought Charlie Sheringham was excellent today, I thought he worked hard, Loui Fazak (Fazackerley), who came on did well, there was just one or two.

“Lee Blackburn’s injury early doors did muck us about a little but, we were a little bit short with Harry Arter going back (to Charlton Athletic following a loan spell) as well.

“We were short of centre midfield players and I think that showed out there today - we couldn’t change it.”

Ford explained why he substituted Ademola - playing his last game for the club as his loan spell from Brentford has now expired.

“I was hoping he would go out with a bang,” said Ford. “I wanted to take him off with five minutes to go and everyone sort of clapping for what he has done for us, because he has done well for us.

“He was a little bit out of sorts today, he didn’t really get going, his touch wasn’t there today and he kept getting offside, so it was disappointing I had to bring him off for the wrong reasons.”

When asked if his players’ were affected by missing out on the play-off’s, Ford replied, “You should always turn up for a game of football, what’s the point in turning up and playing, why are the supporters coming and paying their ten quid?

“It’s a game of football and you’ve got to put a shift in and that’s what disappointed me today.

“There were things out there today that we’re going on that we’ve been on about all season and it’s disappointing from my point of view that they haven’t grasped it and that’s sort of grating me at the minute.

“Having said that, what the lads have done over the season, it’s a marathon and not a sprint and over the season they’ve obviously done well to put us in the position we’re in.

“I don’t really want to finish on a flat one really.”

Welling United: Charlie Mitten, Sanchez Ming (Loui Fazackerley 60), Sam Hurrell, Jack Parkinson, Graeme Andrews, Tony Sinclair, Rob Quinn, Ryan Johnson, Moses Ademola (Richard Stevens 80), Charlie Sheringham, Lee Blackburn (Lee Protheroe 13).
Subs: Matthew McEntegart, David Wilkinson.

Thurrock: Joe Woodley, Kenny Clark, Lee Flynn, Rob Swaine, Phil Anderson, Harlee Dean, David Knight (Jon Stevenson 72), Leon Lalite, David Bryant (Craig Hughes 87), Che Stadhart (Tchokounte Malik 77), Fola Orilonisme.
Subs: Matt Paine, Reiss Gilbey.

Attendance: 620
Referee: Mr Tony Mason (Sidcup)
Assistants: Mr Andy Mead (Orpington) Mr Anthony Rawlings (Bromley)