Welling United 4-2 Eastleigh
WELLING UNITED v EASTLEIGH
TUESDAY 29th MARCH 2011
Blue Square Bet South
Report by Ray Murphy
For the second time in ten days Eastleigh faced a Welling United side that is flying high in the Conference South table despite having a five point deduction against them for a breach of league rules and Eastleigh in the same period also saw four goals conceded to the same side in both games.
Jamie Slabber was missing through injury, which saw a first return to the starting line up for Jamie Brown leading the front line on his own. The side else remained the same that had beaten Woking the previous Saturday. Eastleigh took time to settle into the match and on six minutes were almost a goal behind when Luke Byles’ underhit back pass saw Lee Clarke in on goal, but Jason Matthews was quickly off his line to avert the danger.
Matthews produced another fine stop on twelve minutes to deny Andy Pugh, the ball this time falling for Luis Chambers who only managed to fire over the bar. Anthony Acheampong’s header from Jack Oberstellers corner on sixteen minutes was blocked then a minute later Shaun McAuley's long range effort had no power to trouble goalkeeper John Whitehouse.
Eastleigh went ahead on nineteen minutes on the first of three dubiously awarded penalties of the evening. Tony Taggart's delicately lifted cross to the far post saw Brown's header strike the arm of Clarke and a penalty awarded, which Taggart comfortably tucked away.
The lead lasted six minutes when Richard Graham conceded a free kick on the Welling right flank. Obersteller’s whipped free kick into the near post saw Clarke react quickest to divert home the equaliser.
McAuley had another long-range effort saved on twenty-eight minutes whilst a minute later Ian Herring's long throw was only half cleared by the Welling defence but Taggart fired a shot over the bar.
With four minutes to go to the interval man of the match Clarke slipped a pass through the Eastleigh rearguard that saw Loick Pires race on to the ball but Matthews was at the strikers feet to stop the danger. Three minutes later and Eastleigh were rueing a missed chance of going ahead. Byles' long ball into the area saw Taggart rise highest and head the ball back for Tom Jordan to uncharacteristically head over when well placed. That proved costly for The Spitfires. As play broke to the opposite end, again the ball played over the top of the Eastleigh defence saw Warren Goodhind the wrong side of Cumbers, Goodhind pulling the striker back which saw Goodhind dismissed and Clarke slotting home the penalty which gave the home side a goal advantage at the break.
Ross Bottomley was pulled in to repair the defensive situation for the second period with Ian Herring withdrawn and it was a good second half Eastleigh performance. Welling came close to increasing their lead on forty-nine minutes when Jack Parkinson’s header from a Jamie Day corner was blocked by the Eastleigh defence, but two minutes later Welling did add to their tally. Clarke’s shot from thirty-yards took a wicked deflection of the challenging Danny Smith and the ball looped over the top of Matthews to give the hosts a two-goal advantage.
Matthews was scurrying across his line to stop an effort from Pugh on sixty-one minutes and a minute later as Eastleigh tried to drag back the advantage, Brown headed a Taggart free kick over the bar. Brown was again denied a minute later when Whitehouse saved his shot with Taggart again being the architect.
Even though Eastleigh were pressurising in an attempt to get themselves back in the game they were being left short at the back on occasions. On sixty-five minutes Cumbers cut in from the left and slipped the ball past Matthews but the back-tracking Anthony Riviere cleared the ball off the line.
With Eastleigh still searching for further goals another quick breakaway by the home side on seventy-five minutes saw Pugh race clear but Matthews got the slightest of touches to keep the deficit down to two. A minute later that deficit was reduced. Richard Gillespie used his strength to get beyond a Welling defender and firmly drilled a shot across the face of Whitehouse nestling in the bottom corner of the net.
Day saw a dipping free kick just clear the bar on eighty-three minutes though three minutes later and Welling added their fourth goal of the evening. The awkward Pires stumbled over a challenge from Jordan which referee Craig O’Donnell adjudged as worthy of a penalty, which Clarke sent Matthews, the wrong way for his own personal and Welling's fourth goal of the evening.
So a disappointing result though a good performance from The Spitfires overall.
Jamie Slabber was missing through injury, which saw a first return to the starting line up for Jamie Brown leading the front line on his own. The side else remained the same that had beaten Woking the previous Saturday. Eastleigh took time to settle into the match and on six minutes were almost a goal behind when Luke Byles’ underhit back pass saw Lee Clarke in on goal, but Jason Matthews was quickly off his line to avert the danger.
Matthews produced another fine stop on twelve minutes to deny Andy Pugh, the ball this time falling for Luis Chambers who only managed to fire over the bar. Anthony Acheampong’s header from Jack Oberstellers corner on sixteen minutes was blocked then a minute later Shaun McAuley's long range effort had no power to trouble goalkeeper John Whitehouse.
Eastleigh went ahead on nineteen minutes on the first of three dubiously awarded penalties of the evening. Tony Taggart's delicately lifted cross to the far post saw Brown's header strike the arm of Clarke and a penalty awarded, which Taggart comfortably tucked away.
The lead lasted six minutes when Richard Graham conceded a free kick on the Welling right flank. Obersteller’s whipped free kick into the near post saw Clarke react quickest to divert home the equaliser.
McAuley had another long-range effort saved on twenty-eight minutes whilst a minute later Ian Herring's long throw was only half cleared by the Welling defence but Taggart fired a shot over the bar.
With four minutes to go to the interval man of the match Clarke slipped a pass through the Eastleigh rearguard that saw Loick Pires race on to the ball but Matthews was at the strikers feet to stop the danger. Three minutes later and Eastleigh were rueing a missed chance of going ahead. Byles' long ball into the area saw Taggart rise highest and head the ball back for Tom Jordan to uncharacteristically head over when well placed. That proved costly for The Spitfires. As play broke to the opposite end, again the ball played over the top of the Eastleigh defence saw Warren Goodhind the wrong side of Cumbers, Goodhind pulling the striker back which saw Goodhind dismissed and Clarke slotting home the penalty which gave the home side a goal advantage at the break.
Ross Bottomley was pulled in to repair the defensive situation for the second period with Ian Herring withdrawn and it was a good second half Eastleigh performance. Welling came close to increasing their lead on forty-nine minutes when Jack Parkinson’s header from a Jamie Day corner was blocked by the Eastleigh defence, but two minutes later Welling did add to their tally. Clarke’s shot from thirty-yards took a wicked deflection of the challenging Danny Smith and the ball looped over the top of Matthews to give the hosts a two-goal advantage.
Matthews was scurrying across his line to stop an effort from Pugh on sixty-one minutes and a minute later as Eastleigh tried to drag back the advantage, Brown headed a Taggart free kick over the bar. Brown was again denied a minute later when Whitehouse saved his shot with Taggart again being the architect.
Even though Eastleigh were pressurising in an attempt to get themselves back in the game they were being left short at the back on occasions. On sixty-five minutes Cumbers cut in from the left and slipped the ball past Matthews but the back-tracking Anthony Riviere cleared the ball off the line.
With Eastleigh still searching for further goals another quick breakaway by the home side on seventy-five minutes saw Pugh race clear but Matthews got the slightest of touches to keep the deficit down to two. A minute later that deficit was reduced. Richard Gillespie used his strength to get beyond a Welling defender and firmly drilled a shot across the face of Whitehouse nestling in the bottom corner of the net.
Day saw a dipping free kick just clear the bar on eighty-three minutes though three minutes later and Welling added their fourth goal of the evening. The awkward Pires stumbled over a challenge from Jordan which referee Craig O’Donnell adjudged as worthy of a penalty, which Clarke sent Matthews, the wrong way for his own personal and Welling's fourth goal of the evening.
So a disappointing result though a good performance from The Spitfires overall.
Comments
Post a Comment