Welling United 5-2 Billericay Town - You don't win trophies in November, says Jamie Day

Tuesday 27th November 2012

WELLING UNITED 5-2 BILLERICAY TOWN
Blue Square Bet South
Tuesday 27^th November 2012
Mike Green reports from Park View Road

A truly five star display propelled Welling United into second place in Blue Square Bet South.

It was a stunning performance from Jamie Day's side as they recorded their fifth win in their last six matches (the only reverse being in the Kent Cup against Ebbsfleet United) and left Billericay Town scrambling around Park View Road looking for their toll money to get back into Essex through the Dartford Tunnel.

Day's heroes in red and white simply continued where they left off in the FA Carlsberg Trophy at the weekend when they dumped Blue Square Premier high fliers Newport County out in the First Round.

Their passing on a pitch that belied the rain of the past 36 hours was a joy to behold and the finishing simply stunning, especially the goal that was simply the cherry on top - Jon Main's stunning fifth fifteen minutes from time.

Main who had been on the pitch for less than 10 minutes magnificently volleyed home Loui Fazackerley's right wing cross, after Ross Lafayette had released the overlapping Fazackerley with a delightful first time ball.

The only truly disappointing thing about the night for Day and his side was that their super show was watched by their lowest League gate of the season - just 408 passed through the Park View Road turnstiles to see a really entertaining game played on a terrific surface that looked in fantastic condition despite all the recent dreadful weather that has hit the county - a real credit to the Park View Road ground staff.

Day was naturally delighted with his side's dominance. "At this stage of the season it’s all about grinding out results. We knew it was always going to be a tough game but the boys dealt with it very well and deservedly got the win.

“To let a couple of goals in the way we did was disappointing but I felt that we were always in control of the game and were always going to get the three points on the board.

"We put the ball in the right areas we fought and passed when we could and obviously we've very pleased.

“Obviously we're in good form at the minute and the boys are confident which is shown in the performances of late, but we've got to keep that going.

“We've got a lot of very important games coming up, and we've taken another couple of knocks tonight so the squad is beginning to look a bit thin, but the boys who have come in tonight have shown they're just as good as those they've replaced and hopefully we can now keep it going.

“We're nicely placed at the minute - you don’t win trophies in November - but we know there are a tough couple of months coming up and that we need to get points on the board over Christmas period. We're going into it on the back of four straight wins and clean sheets as well. We've got to keep going."

And keep going they definitely will on this showing going forward at least they definitely will, even if skipper Ben Martin who had a good game at the heart of the home defence didn’t know an awful lot about his "goal" that opened the scoring on ten minutes.

A deep cross was met by the flying Lafayette at the back post, and although Billericay keeper Nathan McDonald made a fine block, the ball ricocheted around the six yard box, and as a Billericay defender tried to clear the ball, Martin blocked the clearance (with what no ones sure) and the ball flew into the net.

For all their territorial dominance that saw home keeper Sam Mott rarely travelled in the first half, Welling didn't double their lead until ten minutes before half time.

Keirnan Hughes-Mason left three defenders in his wake, and as a fourth made a fine challenge, the ball fell to Jake Gallagher who was then dumped to the ground leaving referee Mr Hair little option but to point to the spot - the official incidentally should also be credited on allowing a very fast moving game to flow without a single card shown all night, despite a couple on instances where he could have easily reached for his pocket.

Joe Healy stepped forward and drilled the penalty high into the roof of the net beyond the despairing dive of McDonald.

If the Billericay keeper was despairing with the second goal, he was surely left a touch bewildered by the Wings third shortly before half time which literally rolled back the years.

Gallagher clipped a great ball into the Billericay box, and after creating room for himself with a brilliant turn that left defenders in his wake, Scott Kinch (who was outstanding in the middle of the park) coolly drilled the ball into the bottom corner of the end with a wonderful finish.

But it was the turn that left most of Park View Road stunned - if you'd have seen it on Match of the Day, it would have had messers Hansen, Lawrenson and Shearer drooling surely.

Indeed the only down side on the opening 45 minutes for the home fans was the sight of left back Connor McLaren being carried off on a stretcher just before half time following an innocuous challenge that saw the defender leave the ground on crutches after the game.

To their eternal credit despite being three behind, Billericay came out after the break and had a real go at Welling, and Day would have been slightly concerned at the way his side were forced onto the back foot.

Indeed part of the visitors improvement must surely be down to the half time introduction of Jay May, and it was from the former Dartford, Tonbridge and Maidstone striker’s first touch that Charlie Taylor forced Mott into his first save of the night low to his right on 49 minutes.

Then just past the hour mark, the industrious Glenn Poole sent a free kick into the Welling box that had keeper Mott punching thin air as the ball whistled through the penalty area and behind for a goal kick.

Billericay's improvement saw them finally get on the scoresheet with just nineteen minutes left.

A deep corner to the back post was completely lost by Mott allowing Taylor to hook the ball back into the box for Craig Edwards to bundle the ball home from inside the six yard box to potentially signal a few anxious moments for the home side ahead.

But if Day was looking for a response from his side at being pegged back, his charges definitely delivered as they scored two high quality goals in the space of 90 seconds to seal the points.

Gallagher again was the provider - this time with a ball to the wing for Hughes-Mason who then skipped past three defenders before drilling the ball beyond the luckless McDonald and into the bottom corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season.

That was on 74 minutes and seconds later came the goal of the game as Lafayette and Fazackerley combined brilliantly down the right for substitute Main for his fourth goal of the campaign.

Billericay did pull a second goal back in stoppage time when their substitute Joe Benjamin advanced to beat Mott from the edge of the box after a long ball from McDonald was flicked on, but it really was scant consolation for the visitors who had been well beaten on the night - the night that the Wings went above the inactive Dover Athletic (who's scheduled game at Truro City was lost to the Cornwall puddles) and into second place in the table five points behind leaders Salisbury City - who are themselves probably still smarting at being dumped out of the FA Trophy by Maidstone United at the weekend.

But this was Welling's night, and when you consider how disappointing they were when they lost last season's Play-Off Final to Dartford, you must applaud the way that the side has responded this season - a point that isn’t lost on Day!

He said: "When you look at the other sides who were in the play-offs last season (Sutton and Basingstoke) and they've really struggled this year at the start. I think it’s hard to get the motivation going again after such a let down of being so close.

“I know that we've been a bit inconsistent this season but they're a good group of lads who listen and want to do well for me and the club, so at the minute we're getting the rewards from that but we know that its a long season and we've got to keep it going."

As pleased as he was with his sides display, Day had still had time to praise his side for having five different scorers and their terrific strikes. "Keirnan's done really well in the past couple of weeks, and I'm really pleased that he's got a super goal tonight," the Wings boss said," and Mainy's had to be patient as he’s been in and out of the side through injury - he'd have liked to have played more than he has done, but when you put the ball in the right areas we all know what he can do and we've seen that again tonight; Kinchy's scored a great goal tonight too and obviously pleased to score five!

“As I've said we've got a good group of players who aren't here for the money but want to improve as players and play for me."

The Wings now face a December when they face seven games in 29 days (including an FA Trophy trip to Woking and a local derby with Bromley) which begins at the weekend with a tough trip to Hampshire.

"We know we've got a tough game on Saturday at Eastleigh," Day admitted. "We got stuffed down there 3-0 last season but we'll go there and give it our best shot. We might have some bodies back soon, but the weekend might be too soon for a lot of them, though I hope I'll be OK - felt a bit sore after Saturday but hope it'll be OK this weekend."

Welling United: Sam Mott, Loui Fazackerley, Connor McLaren (Barney Williams 44), Scott Kinch, Ben Martin, Anthony Acheampong, Keirnan Hughes-Mason, Jake Gallagher (Malachi Hudson 83), Kurtis Guthrie (Jon Main 66), Ross Lafayette, Joe Healy.
Sub: Ryan Flack

Goals: Ben Martin 10, Joe Healy 35 (pen), Scott Kinch 41, Kiernan Hughes-Mason 74, Jon Main 75

Billericay Town: Nathan McDonald, Junior Luke, Joe Anderson, Craig Edwards, Rob Swaine, Sam Lechmere (Dave Collis 76), Chris Wild, Glenn Poole, Alex Cordeira (Jay May 46), Charlie Taylor (Joe Benjamin 85), Nathan Green.
Subs: Alton Thelwell and Luke Bartlett

Goals: Craig Edwards 71, Joe Benjamin 89

Attendance: 408
Referee: Mr Neil Hair (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire)
Assistants: Mr Nigel Smith (Bourne, Lincolnshire) & Mr Alastair Wilson (Boston, Lincolnshire)