Wellington AFC

THE freezing weather conditions have taken their toll on the local sporting programme today.

Among the victims was Wellington’s Les Phillips Cup tie away to Radstock  (see also, story below).

Snow and ice cost Wellington Reserves a second match in a row in the Premier Division of the Devon and Exeter League when their home match with Beer Albion was called off on the morning of the game last weekend.

With the ground frozen solid in places there was no chance of playing and a second match of the season needs to be rearranged.

The team has no match next weekend and then host Sidmouth and travel to Exmouth Amateurs in the two weeks before Christmas.

Toolstation League premier division: Wellington 1, Radstock Town 2

WELLINGTON’S poor home form continued with another odd-goal defeat – this time at the hands of Radstock on Saturday.

The game exploded into life after the break with two goals in three minutes.

Radstock took the lead just after the hour when Tom Pawley’s shot took a wicked deflection to send keeper Ryan Lewis the wrong way.

But Wellington got back on terms almost immediately as Dave Thorne was felled in the box and Ingram coolly dispatched the resulting penalty.

The next goal was always going to be all-important and it fell to Radstock after 73 minutes when Craig Mawford was harshly penalised outside the home area and Nathan Flower’s blistering free-kick flew into the top corner.

The weather got its claws into Wellington’s Saturday schedule for the first time this season when the Reserves away match in the Premier Division of the Devon and Exeter League with Topsham Town was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch last weekend.

Wellington await a fresh date for this match and in the meantime will entertain Beer Albion at home this weekend from 2.15pm.

Toolstation premier division: Welton Rovers 2, Wellington 5.

STRIKER Luke Desave bagged a hat-trick as Wellington finally picked up their first away points of the season at fellow strugglers Welton Rovers last night.

Wellington took the lead after 39 minutes when Desave pounced on a defensive mix-up to net.

Their joy was shortlived, however, as Welton equalised within a minute through Jamie Jordan only for the visitors to regain their lead before the break from David Thorne’s diving header.

In the second half, Welton drew level again as keeper Ryan Lewis could only divert an inswinging corner into his own net.

But the match turned Wellington’s way as Desave produced two superb strikes in the space of two minutes.

With ten minutes remaining, Mawford burst from midfield to shoot across keeper Courtney Redwood and into the net.

On Saturday, Wellington are home to Radstock in the league (3pm).

FA Carlsberg Vase second round: Poole Town 4,  Wellington 3

WELLINGTON turned in a valiant display before being knocked out of the Vase by Poole Town in Dorset yesterday.

Both sides had their chances in a pulsating first half but Poole took the lead after 23 minutes through Steve Smith’s header and made it 2-0 four minutes into stoppage time through Kevin Gill’s low drive.

Wellington got off to the best start to the second half as Simon Ingram drove low past keeper Nic Jones.

But Poole took a grip on the tie with two more goals – a penalty converted by Micky Hubbard and a shot on the turn from Dan Cann.

However, Wellington refused to lie down and pulled two goals back through David Thorne and Ingram to set up an exciting finish.

Wellington return to league action when they are away to Welton Rovers on Tuesday and home to Radstock Town next Saturday.

Wellington had left their guard down early on as a shot was hit beyond Chris Cherry in the Tangerines goal, but to Wellington’s credit they came back well with Jake Nichol and Luke Perry putting in great effort in the midfield and up front respectively – their energy levels remained for the whole game until they were replaced.

Nichol poked one just wide of the post before Tom Phillips rose at the back post to equalise for Wellington just before the break and Dave Thomas’ team carried this momentum into the interval and would be pleased that they had ended the half better than Heavitree SU.

However all that work and momentum was undone from the kick off pretty much as Wellington dropped a defensive clanger through a mix up and Heavitree SU had an easy chance to get back in front.

Little went right for Wellington thereafter as an own goal and a penalty that was saved but hit back in on the rebound made it 4-1 to the home side in the end.

Wellington skipper Steve Luxon belied his 42 years of age and was excellent at the back for his side and Aaron Sellick – a second half substitute – performed well, but Wellington really had had a hand in their own downfall through a poor second half.

The team are on the road again this weekend when they visit Topsham with a 2.15pm kick off.

TAUNTON Town had to come from behind to knock Wellington out of the Somerset Premier Cup with a 4-1 win at the Playing Field last night.

Taunton put the home side under the cosh from the start but their lower league opponents stunned them by taking a 23rd minute lead.

Craig Herrod played in Alex Pounde and the striker scored with a low drive against his former club.

Taunton drew level after 38 minutes with a blistering free kick from ex-Wellington striker Alexis Piper

And they caught Wellington napping immediately after half-time as Jon Vance burst forward to shoot past keeper Ryan Lewis.

Wellington then kept Taunton at bay until the last seven minutes when poor defending twice let in substitute Corey Lewis to finish clinically.

Toolstation premier division: Bitton 5, Wellington 2.

WELLINGTON’S poor start to their Toolstation Premier campaign continued on Saturday when they crashed to a heavy defeat at title favourites Bitton.

They were behind after 20 minutes after they were made to pay for the first of a string of defensive errors.

Keeper Ryan Lewis did his best to hold back the tide but could do nothing to stop a Matt Tilley drive 15 minutes later.

Things didn’t improve after the break as Bitton increased their lead within five minutes.

Wellington reduced the arrears through a Simon Ingram free-kick but Bitton hit back twice to take a 5-1 lead.

Defender Mark Armstrong brought Wellington some consolation, scoring with a fine 30-yard drive.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) night, Wellington host Taunton Town in the Somerset Premier Cup (7.30).

Wellington Reserves are thirteenth in the Premier Division of the Devon and Exeter Football League after this home defeat by Newtown last weekend when some very poor refereeing that lacked direction and dynamism let the away side get away with murder at times and left several Wellington players hoping they had all their body parts in place after some woefully bad tackling was on show at North Street.
 
Wellington again had several of their core players absent through work, first team call ups and injury and were forced to field a shadow squad in many ways, but after shipping an early goal Wellington got back into the game as Nathan Thomas – who put a lot of effort in on the day – got in behind the Newtown back four and with some good ball delivery from Mitch Woodgate at left back and Chris McKee in midfield Wellington were not out of the game by a long way; Darren Mace was good in midfield for Wellington and he used his experience well to manage things for the Tangerines second string.
Chris McDougall played well just behind the front two and drove much of Wellington’s first half play and it is good to have him back,
 
The game pivoted on a very poor penalty decision that went for Newtown in the early part of the second half; with the visiting attacker ending up nearer the North Street Car Park than the Wellington goal once he had gone to ground the spot was pointed to and Newtown doubled their advantage.
 
They tripled it as Wellington lost some of their mojo and although they too had a penalty the strike from Tom Phillips was saved.
 
Wellington saw a two footed challenge on Luke Perry only receive a yellow card when red was the only choice wasn’t it?
 
A visit to Heavitree Social Utd is next up on Saturday.