Kentish Football 
Welling United 2-1 Dartford - I have to make changes, warns Darts boss Tony Burman
Saturday 01st January 2011
WELLING UNITED 2-1 DARTFORD
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 1st January 2011
Paul Parkinson reports from Park View Road
In their first game for 17 days, Welling United climbed back into the play-off places in Blue Square Bet South with a 2-1 win at Park View Road that only adds to Dartford's away-day blues this year.
Goals in each half from Lee Clarke and Luis Cumbers seemed to have given the Wings the points, before a controversial late penalty award, converted by Carl Rook, made for an uncomfortable finale to this New Year's Day derby.
Despite the late worries, Welling player-boss, Jamie Day was overjoyed with the result, saying, “The players were looking forward to today, in front of a decent crowd and we got the result we wanted.
“The players might moan that they don't like the number of games over the Christmas period, but you get used to playing and they've done well today. It's all down to the boys. They've showed a great team spirit again, a few are carrying knocks and a few have been ill (including Andy Sambrook being sick at half-time), but they've proved that they want to do well and push this club into the playoffs."
In contrast, Dartford manager, Tony Burman, couldn't hide his feelings about the result and performance, as he said, "Performance wise, I don't often have to say much about how poor it was, but I'm feeling a bit let down at this moment. We had a good start, but then things just didn't go right from then on. We let them dictate the play and it wasn't good enough.
“At half-time we tried to get them going and we shouldn't have to do that. It doesn't happen too often, but I've said I feel let down today.
“We do have to realise that we are playing teams in form, that are up there. We can only go on so long before you have to make changes, because I can't have what happened today happen too many times. Their work rate and commitment have been OK up to now, but today it just wasn't there."
In fairness, Dartford, having played as recently as Tuesday, seemed to settle quicker and could have taken a 5th minute lead.
George Purcell, on loan from York City, showed nimble footwork to create space on the edge of the Welling area and unleashed a left foot shot that rattled the crossbar. From some angles, including that of the press box, it appeared that Gareth Stewart had pulled of a stunning save, with the ball arrowing towards the top corner, but inexplicably referee Mr Lee Venamore pointed for a goal kick.
Ten minutes later, Lee Burns was disappointed to head wide from Purcell's left wing cross, and for a long period, this was as good as it got for the visitors as Welling settled into their normal passing game.
Luis Cumbers was first to break through the Dartford defence, latching onto Joe Healy's through ball, only to fire his shot under Andrew Young and past the left hand post.
Next, Jack Obersteller's cross was flicked away from Young by Tom Champion, but Tom Bonner was at the back post to deny Loui Fazakerley a free header into the empty net.
Fazakerley then fired a drive past Young's left post, before the goalkeeper couldn't claim Healy's cross-shot and was relieved that Andy Pugh's pull-back not only ran across the front of the goal, but also evaded Cumbers two yards out.
On the half-hour, Cumbers curled a cross into the middle of the box towards the unmarked Pugh, but somehow Billy Burgess managed to get a toe to the ball. However, the clearance rebounded to Cumbers, who was bravely denied by Young's 1-on-1 point blank save.
But Welling weren't to be denied, and four minutes before the break, Clarke flicked home a header from 12 yards, past the advancing Young, from another Obersteller free-kick.
The second half followed the same pattern, with Young again saving bravely at the feet of Pugh, from another Cumbers' cross, before the hosts doubled their lead just seven minutes in.
Day's pin-point free-kick was flying into the top right corner before Young clawed the ball away. From the resulting corner, the ball bobbled around in the six-yard box, before Cumbers stabbed the ball over the line.
This produced a reaction in the Dartford performance, and they put together one of their best passing moves, including Michael Shinn, Ryan Hayes, Charlie Sheringham, before Purcell hit a 25 yard shot that dipped just over Stewart's crossbar.
Hayes then delivered a free-kick to the back post where an unmarked Elliot Bradbrook couldn't steer his header on target.
Clarke then sent a volley of his own dipping over the angle of post and bar with Young beaten, before Dartford found a way back into the game with eight minutes left.
Substitute Adam Burchell broke from the left into the box before falling into Day. To the amazement of many, Mr Venamore had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, where Rook beat Stewart low to the keeper's right side.
In stoppage time, Dartford had a chance to steal a point, but Tom Champion stabbed the ball wide after a scramble from Brabrook's corner.
Tony Burman, reflecting on recent results, said "I'm so disappointed, we all are with the position that we're in, but we have been unfortunate. We've had too many draws that could have been wins, but today we didn't deserve to be 2-1. We've got a penalty, which probably wasn't, and we've got something.
“But with 10 minutes left, what response was there? Not a great deal and that's really upset me today. Maybe we have to look at reshuffling the pack. I'll stick up for any player. Up to now, in the 5 or 6 years I've been here, they've worked hard but for some reason it wasn't good enough."
After the difficulties of 2010, with the financial troubles, the court case, and a transfer embargo among the problems faced by his team, Day was glad to be concentrating on football again, saying "It has been difficult (the 17 days off), but we've been able to train 2-3 times a week. It's nice to be back playing, but we now have a lot of games coming up in the next couple of weeks that will make up for it.”
The 31-year-old added, "Me, Ash (Barry Ashby), Dean (Frost) and Stacey (Beckham) have got the best out of some of the players. We're pleased the boys have done everything we've asked of them and hopefully we can keep this going to the end of the season. We've had to get on with it up to now, sometimes having less than 16 players, but whatever has happened, we've got results and we've got to keep on getting results."
The Wings travel down to third-from-bottom side Lewes on Bank Holiday Monday, 3pm, and Day warned:
"Lewes won't be easy. We've got to go there, try to play our football, but it's going to be difficult to get a result."
Welling United: Gareth Stewart, Jamie Coyle, Jack Obersteller, Jamie Day, Andy Sambrook (Anthony Acheampong 53), Jack Parkinson, Loui Fazakerley, Lee Clarke, Luis Cumbers, Andy Pugh, Joe Healy.
Subs: Graeme Andrews, Jordan Johnson, Osa Obamwonyi.
Goals: Lee Clarke 41, Luis Cumbers 53.
Booked: Jamie Coyle 69, Jack Parkinson 75.
Dartford: Andrew Young, Billy Burgess, Tom Bonner, Tom Champion, Paul Goodacre, Michael Shinn (James White 66), Ryan Hayes (Adam Burchell 78), Lee Burns, Charlie Sheringham (Carl Rook 66), George Purcell, Elliot Bradbrook.
Subs: Joe Bruce, John Whitehouse.
Goal: Carl Rook 82 (pen)
Booked: Michael Shinn 37, George Purcell 69
Attendance: 1,521
Referee: Mr Lee Venamore (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Martin Lehane (Bexleyheath) and Mr Errol Walker (Colliers Wood, London SW19)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd