Welling United 4-3 Salisbury City - My players gave me a heart attack, says drained Jamie Day

WELLING UNITED  4-3  SALISBURY CITY
Blue Square Bet South
Tuesday 15^th November 2011
Mike Green reports from Park View Road

A breathless, pulsating, end-to end classic settled in the final minute by a Loick Pires exocet missile from the edge of the box, as Welling United edged a true Blue Square South Bet classic at a misty Park View Road against a Salisbury City side who in the first half at least seemed to have left their match legs on the team coach parked outside the ground.

Jamie Day's side were almost left to rue their total domination in the first half, as they only had a single goal lead to show for a 45 minute battering of an opponent that the venue cannot have seen very often in its long history.
 
Days post match response was understandably drained.  He said, "They gave me a heart attack in the end! Obviously I'm pleased with the performance if not some of our defending with three sloppy goals, but when we've created as many chances as we have done tonight.

“I think we deserved to win. Any neutrals here tonight would have loved it wouldn't they? It was end to end, we deserved to win the game even though it was end to end, so I'm pleased to have got the points.

“I didn’t think I conceded a penalty but I'll have a look on the video and if I'm wrong I'll fine myself.

“The free kick was an area where I'm confident at, and I got one on target which was great.

“I thought we started the game pretty well despite going a goal down, we responded well, its nice that we didn’t let our heads drop. And even at 3-3 we haven’t dropped and got the winner, and what a goal it was straight from kick off - it was a great strike from Loick so we're pleased. He's been excellent for us - that said I thought that the front three were terrific tonight.

“Luis Cumbers was excellent and his work rate really did deserve a goal. There's no doubt in my mind that when the front three are on form they make a huge difference to us."
 
The Wings player-boss was heavily in involved in the early stages.  As early as the sixth minute Day played in Pires down the right, and his first time cross was met by Andy Pugh who couldn't direct his header anywhere but at City keeper Tommy Smith. 

Ninety seconds later, the Day was penalised for a clumsy push in the Wings box as referee Mr Harris pointed to the spot. 

Jake Reid stepped up and sent Wings keeper Dan Thomas the wrong way from 12 yards drilling the ball into the top left hand corner.
 
The Wings then began to probe the visitors with the movement of the front three - Pires, Pugh and the incredibly hard working Cumbers - causing the Salisbury defence all sorts of problems, problems that came to a head for the visitors after 24 minutes in the most amazing goal line scramble this reporter has ever seen.
 
A ball was played into Pires, who's shot was deflected onto a post, and the ball was played back out to Jack Oberstellar and his cross saw Pugh thump a header onto the Salisbury bar.  As the ball was played back in again, the ball looped off of a defender and was cleared off the line by a brilliant Josh Casey header, with Welling players and fans alike almost pleading with referee Harris that the ball had indeed crossed the line. 

As the ball then came clear, Pires thundered a shot that appeared to strike a hand - again Mr Harris wasn’t interested and waved the protests away.
 
Welling were not to be put off though as on 29 minutes a stunning free kick from Day levelled the scores. 

Pugh was upended 25 yards out, and the Day duly stepped up and magnificently curled the ball up and beyond the despairing dive of keeper Smith and into the net for his third goal of the season and second goal in two games. 

Smith will possibly when he sees the kick again question his starting position as he gave himself little chance by surely standing too deep into his net to have reached the ball and so it proved.
 
Six minutes later on 35 minutes, the Wings deservedly had the lead.  Again Pires was involved as his incredible pace saw him sprint free of Casey, and his pin point cross to the back post was volleyed home at the back post by the Jack Parkinson who coolly volleyed home his fifth goal of the season.
 
The Welling assault was almost derailed when Ben Adelsbury brought the magnificent best out of Thomas with a low skidding shot which the Wings keeper did very well to finger tip round the right post. 

It was just a blip as the Wings bombardment continued up to half time. 

On 41 minutes Pugh took advantage of some woeful defending by Brian Dutton to race clear only to slide his shot / cross across the face of the Salisbury goal. 

As the half moved into stoppage time, the hard working Cumbers cut in from the right to power in a vicious swerving shot that Smith magnificently turned round the right post at full length. 

There was still time for Day to be denied from another free kick that again Smith performed heroics just to reach let alone claw out from underneath the cross bar.
 
The second half began as the first ended with Welling so much on top that if this had been a boxing match, then the match would surely have been stopped, such was the punishment that the visitors were taking.  And it continued after the break. 

On 53 minutes Smith did well to tip over a Pires drive and from the corner, Parkinson's header thumped back off of the bar. 

Three minutes later Pires’ shot on the turn just too high and it seemed inevitable that the third goal for the home side was just moments away - how wrong we were!
 
On the hour so much against the run of play it was ridiculous, Salisbury equalised with a goal out of nothing from Substitute Marvin Williams, who ironically was making his debut for the Wiltshire side after signing from Hemel Hempstead. 

A long ball cleared up the Park View Road slope, and Williams held off a challenge to thump the ball home from the edge of the box.
 
To give them full credit, Welling kept up their bombardment, as almost straight from kick off, Pugh and Cumbers combined only for Cumbers to be denied by a brave block from keeper Smith's right boot. 

On 65 minutes, the Wings could have been forgiven for thinking that it really wasn’t going to be their night. 

Cumbers got on the end of brilliant cross field ball from Loui Fazakerley, cut inside the box and drilled the ball across the face of goal only for the ball to hit Dutton on the heels and rebound onto the Salisbury post and behind with neither defender or keeper having any idea at all where the ball had gone.
 
Yet despite all of the pressure and chances that the Wings were creating, Salisbury were still in the game, especially now with the pace of Williams leading their line, and on 67 minutes, the pacy striker raced onto a ball played into space behind Obersteller before clipping the ball past Thomas and the Wings keeper was relieved to see Fazakerley on hand to clear the ball away. 

Adam Kelly was then denied by a fabulous block as he fired in a shot from the edge of the box, before the game turned yet again with 20 minutes left.
 
Pires used his giant long legs to evade Dutton's tired challenge, and as the giant striker raced into the Salisbury box only for his run to be ended by a clumsy Smith challenge which saw the Wings awarded a penalty and the keeper possibly a touch unlucky to be shown the red card. 

Michael Alexis was sacrificed in order for young keeper Michael Neish to take his place as Pugh stepped up and slammed the ball into the corner of the net. 

There had been some pre-match speculation as to whether the Wings top scorer would indeed future - a point that manager Day was glad to clear up the confusion. 

Day said, "Andy wasn't in the original squad of 18 but was named in a training squad which I think is where the confusion came from. But it’s still a great achievement for Andy and we're obviously very pleased for him and I thought he played well tonight. He took the penalty well especially after having to wait to take it while the keeper got sent off.

“There could have been some extra pressure on it but he stood up and scored."
 
The sense of release around Park View Road was almost audible, as that surely was that - but yet again, Welling slipped defensively and Salisbury incredibly and almost inexplicably were level again on 88 minutes. 

A long throw into the Wings box was flicked on at the near post for Williams to spectacularly volley the ball home into the top corner beyond the despairing dive of Thomas into the top corner, to surely grab the visitors a point.
 
But no - straight from kick off, the ball found its way to Pires, who made room for himself on the left edge of the box before thundering in a shot which flew like a missile beyond the despairing dive of Neish and as the net bulged, Pires was mobbed by jubilant team mates as victory was finally sealed and confirmed!
 
"We need to keep going as (league leaders) Woking have only been beaten once and have put a hell of a run together " Day admitted.  

"I do think that the teams around us will have a bit of a blip - we had one a couple of weeks ago, and we need to make sure that we take advantage if or when the others do slip by winning the games when they lose or draw."
 
Sadly this classic was watched by the Wings lowest League gate of the season, and those who did stay away in truth, missed an absorbing game that can truly be described as a classic!
 
Welling United:  Dan Thomas, Loui Fazakerkey, Jack Oberstellar, Jamie Day (Lee Clarke 80), Anth Acheampong, Ben Martin, Jack Parkinson, Joe Healy, Luis Cumbers, Andy Pugh, Loick Pires.
Subs:  Andy Sambrook, Jordan Johnson, Tamer Tuna, Ryan Dolby

Goals:  Jamie Day 29, Jack Parkinson 35, Andy Pugh 73 (pen), Loick Pires 89

Booked:  Jamie Day 8

Salisbury City:  Tommy Smith, Ryan Brett, Josh Casey, Stuart Anderson, Brian Dutton, Danny Webb, Adam Kelly (Charlie Knight 75), Ben Adelsbury (Marvin Williams 54), Dan Fitchett, Jake Reid, Michael Alexis (Michael Neish 70).
Subs:  Darrell Clarke, Romario Hart

Goals:  Jake Reid 8 (pen), Marvin Williams 60, 85
 
Booked: Adam Kelly 74
 
Sent Off: Tommy Smith 70
  
Attendance: 440
Referee:  Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants:  Mr Chris Phillips (Carshalton Beeches, Surrey) & Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton, Surrey)