Scorers: Richard Stevens (44mins), Chris Dunphy (58mins).
It was a very cold and wet morning and the pitch just about passed the Referee's inspection.
Welling began strongly and for the first 10 minutes the Lewisham goal came under pressure but the couple of half chances created were saved easily by Krasniqi in the Lewisham goal.
Against the run of play Lewisham took the lead after 20 minutes when Ollie Green only managed to parry a shot from outside the box and it fell to Moore who took full advantage of the opportunity and scored.
Welling continued to try and put pressure on Lewisham but their defence held firm, and for the second week running Welling went in a goal down at half time.
Half time Welling United 0 – 1 Lewisham Youth
Four substitutions were made at half time and it wasn’t long before one of them, Richard Stevens, brought the scores level with a cool finish into the bottom corner of the goal. The pressure was beginning to tell and when an Ian Brooke corner found Chris Bertuello, his bullet header forced Krasniqi to make an excellent save.
On 58 minutes the pressure paid off when an excellent cross from Richard Stevens was bundled in at the far post by Chris Dunphy, also a second half substitute.
Welling continued to apply pressure particularly down the left hand side where Matt Vitty and Rishi Nankani were running the Lewisham defence ragged. Charlie Bertuello hit the post from close in and only a superb save from Krasniqi denied Richard Stevens a second goal.
Lewisham were experiencing a resolute Welling defence when they did manage to get into the last third and their persistence nearly paid off right on the last knockings when they managed to break through and Ollie Green had to pull off an excellent save to prevent the equaliser.
Unlike so many games in the Conference South the referee handled the game excellently, defusing a couple of potential flashpoints with great tact.
The weather and the pitch, a quagmire by the finish, largely determined the play and I am looking forward to watching the team in more clement conditions.
After the match Ken Brooke said “An excellent victory that means with 5 games to go in the League we still have everything to play for. An excellent squad performance with new boy Sami Kadri making his first appearance.”
“Our second half performance had more of a cutting edge to it and the victory was deserved. James Cummings, fit again after his virus ran himself into the ground and played well throughout, and Rishi and Matt on the left second half produced some lovely skills on a wet and sometimes difficult pitch.”
“Someone is going to get a beating soon!!!!”
-- Edited by bruno at 02:36, 2006-02-14
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
