We need 80 points to get a play-off place, predicts Welling United boss Jamie Day

WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day has set his side a points target to ensure they secure a play-off place at the end of the season, writes Stephen McCartney.


The Wings are presently in second-place in the Blue Square Bet South table with 39 points from 18 games, four points behind Woking.

Day said: “We’ve got a very tough month coming up and we have to try and play our football.

“We haven’t looked at a point’s target this month especially with the games we’ve got coming up now.  We normally target points but we have to take each game as it comes for the next four or five and asses where we are at the beginning of January and see how we come out of this month.

“Looking at next year we need to hit the late 70-80 points to try and get a play-off place.  If we can catch Woking we’ll look to do that.  It’s going to be difficult.   We’ve got a target, that figure, if we’re looking to get into the play-offs.”

Day added: “You look at Woking’s backing and their squad and it is top class.  They’ve signed Ben Smith from Crawley today on loan for a month and that’s going to improve their squad as well and they can go and do that.

“The clubs that are around them like us we’re not in a position to go out and get people on loan, but at the same time we’ll have a good go and we’ll try and catch them if we can.  They are a decent side, who looking at it are probably the ones to be caught.”

Welling progressed into the First Round of The FA Carlsberg Trophy for the second successive season when they defeated Keith McMahon’s Thamesmead Town 3-1 in Tuesday night’s replay at Park View Road.

The club reached the First Round last year and took Conference Premier giants Luton Town to two games.

But Day always felt his side would progress against Ryman League Division One North opposition, despite falling behind to an early goal from Theo Fairweather-Johnson, who scored both of Thamesmead’s goals in the 2-2 draw at Bayliss Avenue on Saurday, but goals from Jack Parkinson, Andy Pugh and Loick Pires secured a First Round trip to Ryman Premier Leaguers East Thurrock on 10 December.

He said: “Obviously disappointed to concede a goal but I felt that was their only shot on target they had all night and they had a good go.  They worked hard and never stopped battling and I think Keith was obviously proud of them, what they done, but I just felt that the quality told at the end.

“Motty (Thamesmead keeper Sam Mott) pulled off four or five good saves and it half entered my mind (that we could come unstuck), but the amount of chances we created, we’d get a goal from it so it was a case of being patient and in the end we got the result we needed.”

Looking ahead to facing East Thurrock United in the next round, Day added, “On paper it’s a game that we should win, but they’ve had a good cup run.  I think they played Macclesfield in the FA Cup so it’s not going to be easy, away from home again, so we have to make sure that we’re fully prepared and put in a performance and hopefully try and get into the next round.”

Day takes his side to tenth-placed Tonbridge Angels on Saturday.  Tommy Warrilow’s side exited the FA Carlsberg Trophy with an awful performance during their 2-1 home defeat to Blue Square Bet North strugglers Bishop’s Stortford.

The two Kent sides played each other back in August and two goals from Frannie Collin gave the Angels a 2-0 lead, but Pires scored just before the break and second half goals from Pugh and Parkinson sealed the points for the Wings.

“We played really well and didn’t deserve to go two goals down, but we showed great character to turn it around and in my opinion we deserved to win and get the three goals to make that happen,” recalled Day.

“It’s going to be a tough game.  Tom’s done a fantastic job so far this season, got a good spot in the league.  It’s a game that’s going to be a difficult game so we have to make sure we’re well prepared and fully ready for the game and need to put in a decent performance if we want to get anything from it."

Day added: “Pitches are going to start to cut up a little bit and it’s the time of year when people have to grind out results.”

Visit Welling United’s website: www.wellingunited.com  

Tonbridge Angels  v  Welling United
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 3^rd December 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Longmead Stadium, Darenth Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JW