Every so often there are moments when football treats you, and it appears that this week wants to be one of those occasions (I am sure Saturday at home to Basingstoke will change my opinion!) as after the dramatic, and deserved late equaliser against Chelmsford City, the Romans welcomed top of the table Welling United to Twerton.
Welling provided our first opposition of the season on a ludicrously hot August day, when optimism was still in the air, before the cold winter killed it stone dead. Kurtis Guthrie who scored 6 in 13 for City, returned with the visitors, however, young Kurtis hasn't scored for Welling, and was missing his fantastic hair sporting a shaved head.
Chamberlain, Preece and Low started, meaning that Griffin, Jones and Allen dropped to the bench. The pitch was remarkably in good nick, given how poor it was looking on Saturday a doff of the cap to the people involved in getting it playable.
City started brightly, and swarmed all over Welling, very early on Chamberlain hit a shot wide of the post having worked some space for himself. The same player was released very shortly afterwards, by a beautifully weighted ball, but he was unceremoniously pulled down by Anthony Acheampong, who was clearly the last man, bizarrely the referee decided to only book Acheampong, who despite being a giant fell over (read dived) whenever a stripe went near him, and generally was a cheating, but surprising rubbish nob.
Brown hammered the resulting freekick low, but the shot was well held by Jamie Turner, Welling's reserve and surprisingly tubby goalkeeper. To be fair to the stand in, despite his rotundness his experience shone through during the night, and he pulled off some brilliant saves, including a second half full stretch save from a Connolly volley that was destined for the net.
Despite City's vast superiority Welling should have taken the lead, when on 12 minutes the ball was played to a Welling striker unmarked, less than 12 yards from goal, somehow, miraculously the ball got stuck between the forwards feet and a quick to react Mellor managed to get the ball away.
Welling despite being top of the table, looked devoid of any ideas, or to be honest any real quality, and City always looked the more likely to score. When the goal did arrive, it was a thing of amazement for many reasons! Just after the half hour mark, Chamberlain harried the centre back and goalkeeper, before Noah Keats snuck up on the second centre back who'd received the ball from the keeper, Keats robbed the player, but the chance appeared to have gone, as he was forced wide, the ball was played back to Burnell, who chipped an exquisite ball, than an on rushing Sekani Simpson took in his stride, his first touch rounding the keeper before calmly slotting the ball home with his left!
Unbelievable scenes, as Simpson scored his first league goal since 2008, and apparently first at home since the Southern League days. Simpson celebrated with a brilliant nonchalant swagger, which seemed to scream "yes I am that good!"
The half time went with City winning 1-0.
Welling made a succession of changes after the half, but very rarely did they threaten City, and the stripes always looked more likely to score again. The giant centre back who should have been sent off earlier continued to trip, and push with no fear.
Eventually though, the red card Welling United seemed intent on receiving happened, there were some crunching tackles in quick succession before Welling substitute Giannoulis Fakinos (what a name!) leapt in, studs showing and connected with Adam Connolly, the red was instantly flashed, and a yellow followed to a Welling player who said too much.
With Welling down to 10 men, the fear of Kurtis Guthrie, who'd come on in the 53rd minute weirdly playing on the wing, scoring to haunt City receded. In fact City should have scored a second, when in the dying seconds Kerry Morgan was fed by Connolly, but the Welsh winger, scuffed his first time shot tamely into the keepers hands.
It was not to matter though, as the whistle went shortly afterwards, and City had won, producing their best overall performance since the 2011 season when we finished 10th in the Conference. Superb by the men in black and white, and given the fear of getting nothing from the games against two teams from the top of the table has yielded 4 points. Onwards and upwards! Up the City!
No comments:
Post a Comment