A dramatic afternoon at the Kuflink Stadium produced a point apiece as Rakish Bingham’s late penalty was saved by Kai McKenzie-Lyle deep into a lengthy stoppage time – the draw preserving both Welling’s unbeaten away record and the Fleet’s overall unbeaten record in all competitions.
Welling had been reduced to nine men with the dismissal of Stefan Payne in the first half and then James Dunne in the second and celebrated the point and penalty save as one would expect after such a tempestuous encounter.
Six changes were made from the Fleet’s Emirates FA Cup win last week while Welling fielded new loan signing Sid Nelson and Iraqi international Yaser Kasim.
Fleet made the early running and a foul on Omari Sterling-James saw Toby Edser drive a free-kick low into the goalkeeper’s midriff. Welling forced a couple of set pieces and Cousins had to tip over the backwards header of the tall Manny Parry who found it easy to use his height to gain the advantage.
Set-pieces and a stop-start approach were the order of the day for the opening quarter and Rakish Bingham found his way into referee Ben Atkinson’s book on 14 minutes as his frustration grew. Bingham had the next effort after good wing work from Sterling presented him with the chance but goalkeeper Kai McKenzie-Lyle was behind it.
Welling took their next opportunity to nose in front. It arrived on 20 minutes with a neat move through the middle, Stefan Payne finding Kasim’s run into space in the box and the Iraqi midfielder struck it well past Cousins.
Parry and Jamie Sendles-White had further efforts on goal as Welling tried to stamp some more authority on the game but neither of those really threatened and Fleet were left waiting until the 33rd minute for another sight of goal, Poleon’s lay-off for Edser fired wide. But it was Welling’s midfield energy and the disruptive nature of the play that meant Fleet couldn’t really impose themselves.
The major talking point of the game came on 39 minutes when the referee suddenly produced a red card for former Fleet loanee Payne, presumably for dissent after he let fly at the official for a decision. The red shirts tried to capitalise immediately and Edser cannoned a low effort off the foot of the post for the second time in successive Saturdays. Tanner then sent a free-kick to much the same area, that one skirting the post and heading wide.
And it was Tanner who forced the final actions of the half, getting on to Poleon’s dummy to rifle one at McKenzie-Lyle. But he went one better right at the end of time added on, receiving Edser’s pass back to the edge of the box, sizing up the target, steadying his angle, turning past his marker and then bending a great effort into the gap left by the keeper.
It was a fiery encounter and that continued into the second-half as Fleet forced the issue at the start but couldn’t find a solid opportunity for the first quarter-hour. Poleon’s high ball from a corner dropped into the six-yard box where Christian N’Guessan tried to force it over but McKenzie-Lyle rose higher to punch clear in the ensuing scramble.
Solly sent a low ball into the six-yard box from wide just past the hour mark after a good spell of Fleet pressure around the box. Then Edser had a shot blocked in a packed box after substitute Shaq Coulthirst laid it off to him and then Poleon’s smart turn from Bingham’s pass was sent just off target.
Welling understandably seemed a spent force with 20 minutes left as Fleet lined up across midfield. Sterling tried to play Coulthirst when he might have been better placed to shoot and Darren McQueen’s low delivery to Poleon got stuck under his feet.
Another big moment in the game came seven minutes away from the 90 with Poleon sprinting away towards the box, Mr Atkinson suddenly pulled play back and issued skipper James Dunne with a second yellow card to reduce Welling to nine men.
Fleet poured forward with nine minutes of added time and Coulthirst was denied by McKenzie-Lyle twice inside a minute, as the goalkeeper continually milked every save for time to keep the pressure off the nine men. Hollis turned Cundle’s pass over the bar deep into the final moments and an almighty goalmouth scramble ensued as time ticked down with at least four or five efforts from the encamped red shirts being blocked by last-ditch Welling defending.
As if there hadn’t been enough drama, with virtually the final attack of the game, a shot hit a Welling arm inside the box and given his afternoon to that point, Mr Atkinson might have been forgiven for waving it away – but he motioned towards the spot. Up stepped Bingham after a full minute of protests and though he struck his kick with his usual aplomb, McKenzie-Lyle did well to follow the track of the ball and push it away to his left.
That prompted huge celebrations on the Welling bench and though it had been a feisty and loud afternoon on the touchline and in the dugouts, both managers embraced at the whistle before letting the dust settle ahead of issuing their thoughts on the drama!
EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill (Jombati 89), Solly, Hollis, N’Guessan (Coulthirst 63), Edser, Sterling-James (McQueen 78), Cundle, Tanner, Bingham, Poleon. Subs: Chapman, Firth
WUFC: McKenzie-Lyle, Ezennolim, Parry, Cox, Kasim, Elito (Kassaraté 63), Nelson (Dickens 85), Azeez (Papadopoulus 75), Payne, Dunne, Sendles-White. Subs: Aransibia, Patterson
Attendance: 1,816
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