Welling United 0-1 Dover Athletic - We're not quite ready to get into play-off's, admits Day

Monday 05th April 2010

WELLING UNITED 0-1 DOVER ATHLETIC
Blue Square South
Easter Monday 5th April 2010
Mike Green reports from Park View Road

A SOLITARY strike from veteran Nicky Southall all but confirmed Dover Athletic’s place in the Blue Square South play-off’s, whilst at the same time ended Welling United’s flickering hopes.

The 38-year-old Dover skipper struck ten minutes after half-time as he latched on to Adam Birchall’s through ball and drilled the ball high past the despairing Charlie Mitten into the Welling net.

In truth, the margin of victory perhaps should have been larger, as James Rogers (before half-time) and Birchall (shortly after Southall scored) both brought exceptional saves out of the Welling keeper, whilst Jon Wallis somehow managed to put the ball into Danson Park from only eight-yards out.

In was tough on the Wings’ player-manager Jamie Day, who himself was outstanding in the middle of the park, but the Wings boss must have cringed time and again as the final ball up to strikers Tommy Whitnell and Lee Clarke simply wasn’t good enough and Ross Flitney in the Dover goal was seldom troubled.

After the game a delighted Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler spoke with www.kentishfootball.co.uk and said: “It was a scrappy game to be fair, but its all about getting results at this stage of the season. Another massive effort by our boys – we’ve had a lot of games in the last nine days – a first class effort.”

Two of Dover’s nearest rivals – Chelmsford City and Braintree Town – drew with each other allowing Hessenthaler’s side to open a point’s gap on City, a point that wasn’t lost on the Dover boss.

He said, “Of course we’d love to finish second and with Chelmsford dropping points today that means that they’re going to have to win their game in hand now to go above us. Of course we want to finish second, but all we can do is win our last three games which are all winnable.”

Paying tribute to his match winner Southall, Hessenthaler said, “He’s been first class all season and I don’t think he’s missed a game in the league and him at his age of 38 is fantastic – he loves the game and it shows. His experience in games like today’s helps no end, but as soon as the ball went out to him today we thought we’d have a chance of scoring. It was a good strike and a bit special.”

Dover were comfortable winners, and Hessenthaler admitted that he was a touch disappointed that Welling keeper Mitten wasn’t really worked more then he was, as in truth, the margin of victory perhaps should have been larger, as James Rogers (before half-time) and Birchall (shortly after Southall scored) both brought exceptional saves out of the Welling keeper, whilst Jon Wallis somehow managed to put the ball into Danson Park from only eight-yards out.

Hessenthaler admitted, “We were the away team but you have to give Welling credit for the way that they played especially when they lost Jack Parkinson early on, who is a good player for them.

“They had to re organise but give them a lot of credit – they’ve been on a tremendous run themselves under Jamie and Barry (Ashby).

“They’ve pulled the team together since Andy (Ford) left and have done tremendously on a limited budget, so full praise to them for today.

Day was disappointed when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.

He said: “That probably sees us out of the Play Off race now and confirms that we’re not quite ready to finish in the top six just yet.

“Its disappointing that we’ve lost the last three but I’ve told the boys in the dressing room that against the bigger teams we’ve played this year we haven’t done enough.

“I thought we worked very hard but there was just no end product and we didn’t create enough chances.

“We’ve got three games left to finish on a high. We had more possession, particularly second half but we didn’t make Ross make enough saves.”

Looking ahead, the Wings boss said, We’ve got three games left and we’ll look to build on what we have achieved and move on from there next season, and try again next year. We’ve punched above our weight this year – we’re just not quite ready to get into the Play Offs. I’ve said to the boys that we’re not quite ready to let the season peters out and we’ll finish as high as we can, as we don’t want to let all the good work we’ve done go undone.”

Welling United: Charlie Mitten, Sam Cutler, Andy Sambrook, Jamie Day, Graeme Andrews, Jack Parkinson (Michael Deane 24), Loui Fazakerley (Jake Hobbs 65), Dean Cracknell, Tommy Whitnell, Lee Clarke, Sam Hurrell (Michael Bakare 51).
Subs: Jack Obersteller, Luke I’Anson.

Dover Athletic: Ross Flitney, Matt Fish, Dean Hill, Daniel Leach, Olly Schulz, Joseph Tabiri, Nicky Southall, Jon Wallis, Shaun Welford (Craig Cloke 86), Adam Birchall, James Rogers.
Subs: Jake Leberl, Jake Marsh, Danny Walder, John Whitehouse.

Goal: Nicky Southall 55

Attendance: 939
Referee: Mr Robert Hyde (Shoreditch, London E2)
Assistants: Mr Graeme Ions (Maidstone) & Mr Matthew Hopton (London WC1)