More red card woes for Welling United in National League South defeat to Weymouth
BY MARK DOIG
Welling United dropped to 18th in the National League South table after a 2-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Weymouth.
It was the third league and cup meeting between the two clubs this season, and the Dorset club, one spot off the bottom of the standings, have won all of them. The Terras won 3-0 at their own ground in the FA Cup before claiming a league win at Park View Road.
This time around, as they have too often this season, the Wings had to play a large part of the game with 10 men following Amadou Kassarate’s third red card of the season. Although they went behind to a Bradley Ash goal, Kai McKenzie-Lyle kept the Wings in the game with a penalty save from Ahkeem Rose.
When Ade Azeez equalised with seven minutes remaining, after James Dunne’s long-range effort had come back out to him off the post, they did not settle for what they had and looked for a winner. However, it wasn’t to be and they were sucker-punched by a goal by Rose in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time.
Wings boss Warren Feeney told the club’s website: “I just said to the players in there, it was a big punch in the gut for us but we’ve got to recover. We had the best chance in the first half, Kyrell (Lisbie). A bit more composure and we go in [ahead].
“I can’t fault the effort of my boys. We’ve got to take that on the chin today because they worked their socks off against all odds. We went to win the game with 10 men only to get done by a suckerpunch at the end.”
Feeney was without the injured Medy Elito, Rob Howard, Taylor Maloney, Christie Pattisson and goalkeeper Myles Roberts and will lose his other goalkeeper McKenzie-Lyle plus player-coach Sam Cox before Tuesday’s match against Taunton Town as they head off on international duty.
Kassarate and Stefan Payne start lengthy suspensions on Saturday.
Feeney admitted that it was a difficult period and confirmed that another goalkeeper will have to be brought in to cover.
There is still a six-point gap between the Wings and the bottom four but they will need to pick up some points in their three remaining games in March, starting with the game against Taunton.
PICTURES: MICHAEL BROWN