Wellington AFC

Toolstation League premier division: Wells City 3, Wellington 0

STRUGGLING Wellington were comfortably beaten at Wells City on Saturday.

Wells created the better openings of the first half, going ahead just three minutes before the break.

Ben Robertson’s header from a corner was cleared off the line but the ball fell to Matt Hurley, who scored from close range.

Wellington fell further behind after 55 minutes when Mark Randall fired into the roof of the net.

The visitors almost pulled a goal back with a shot from Mark Armstrong, which smacked against the bar.

But they conceded a third goal with 15 minutes remaining. Wells were awarded a penalty for handball and although keeper Ryan Lewis saved Steve Murray’s spot-kick, Olly Edwards scored from the rebound.

Wellington’s day went from bad to worse in the dying minutes when defender Nathan Best was sent off.

This Saturday, Wellington are home to Bitton (3pm).

Toolstation League premier division: Wellington 1, Bristol Manor Farm 4.

WELLINGTON conceded the double to Manor Farm at the Playing Field yesterday.

They fell behind after only four minutes as a low cross was turned in by an unmarked Troy Simpson.

Manor Farm scored twice in three minutes after the break – both through substitute Jamie Adams.

Wellington did pull a goal back after 73 minutes through substitute Oli but Manor Farm had the final say, Adams scoring from close range to complete his hat-trick.

For the second time this season Wellington Reserves saw their Devon and Exeter League Premier Division match at Topsham Town called off due to a waterlogged pitch, having seen the original date back in November be the start of their trials and tribulations with the weather this season as it was the first match to be postponed due to climatic issues.

Heavy rain through Friday night continued into Saturday morning and this brought about a midday call off; this most testing of seasons is going to go on and on at this rate as this makes for two matches to have to reschedule on top of a series of thirteen matches that are all in close date proximity to each other between next weekend and the end of April.

The team are up against it to get the season completed at home and an away postponement does not help matters at all.

Sidmouth Town visit North Street this Saturday for a 3.00pm KO.

Budleigh Salterton Reserves completed their third successive Devon and Exeter League Premier Division double over Wellington when they took away a 3-1 win from North Street last Wednesday evening in a match that Wellington never really got into and after the pleasing way the side had played against Willand Reserves the previous weekend it was even more disappointing to see.
 
Budleigh – whose 1st XI play in a division that is on a par with the one below where Wellington’s play – raced into a lead pretty much from the off and were 3-0 up by the break as they picked holes in Wellington’s back line which showed several changes in personnel from the Willand match such is the nature of midweek selection patterns due to work and other commitments.
 
Tom Phillips came on as a sub for Wellington and got one back for the Tangerines second string, but it did not signal a comeback of Herculean proportions and the game was played out to a 3-1 win for the visitors.
 
As always it will be interesting to see what sort of result Budleigh return at the weekend as the feeling was this side, whilst having a hold over Wellington with six wins in six matches, was stronger than what will show up on Saturday coming.

WELLINGTON Reserves went down to a disappointing 3-1 defeat by Budleigh Salterton Reserves at the Playing Field last night.

Wellington never recovered from the shock of going a goal down inside the first minute after they lost the ball straight from the kick-off.

Although the home side dominated the next half-hour, some poor defending saw them concede two more goals before half-time to virtually end the game as a contest.

The second half was a scrappy affair although Wellington did pull a goal back after 54 minutes as Tom Phillips shot home after the Budleigh keeper had dropped a corner.

On Saturday, Wellington Reserves are away to Topsham Town while the first team are home to Manor Farm in the Toolstation Premier (3pm).

Toolstation premier division: Corsham Town 1, Wellington 1.

WELLINGTON finally clawed themselves off the bottom of the table with a hard-earned point at Corsham yesterday.

Manager Colin Merrick was unable to name any substitutes but his bare 11 performed like heroes in the heavy conditions and could even have snatched a shock victory.

Wellington found themselves under the cosh in the first half – defending valiantly to keep the scoreline goalless at the interval.

Wellington went ahead on the hour when Craig Mawford curled a superb free-kick around the wall.

Corsham drew level in controversial fashion six minutes later as keeper Ryan Lewis pulled off a flying save to keep out Aaron Ledgister’s shot but, when he caught the ball as it dropped, the assistant referee ruled it had crossed the line.

WELLINGTON and Willand drew for the third time in a row in the Premier Division of  the Devon and Exeter League when they fought out a goalless draw at North Street yesterday.

But this was a game that Wellington could and should have won as they created by far and away the best chances and moves of the game, but they should take heart from that and move into the next game with this same sort of confidence.

Wellington were into their stride early as this saw Ashley Gaines doing good work up the right wing and playing a good ball in for Nathan Thomas to hit one point blank at the keeper and he saved the strike somehow.

Wellington continued to press forward and hit the post twice before the break; Nathan Thomas was first to do so and the ball came back into play and had time to strike the hand of a Willand defender, Wellington’s appeals for a spot kick were denied. Craig Aspin nearly delivered the perfect counter attack as Wellington keeper Chris Cherry delivered a long ball that found Aspin perfectly and the tall winger rampaged forward and beat the keeper from a very narrow angle, but just not enough to tuck the ball inside the far post as it bounced agonisingly wide and to safety.

Wellington were the better side into the second half and had it not been for Paul Pocock in the Willand midfield they would have offered even less than they actually did.

Nigel Letten played a whole game despite picking up a second half injury, but he will be out for this evening’s game and Mitch Woodgate was a tower of strength at the back as he played a MoM performance.

Luke Perry and Oli Nott were both used as second half substitutes, but Wellington just could not find the killer touch to wrap up three points; although they stay fourteenth Wellington moved closer to the mid table pack.

Wellington entertain Budleigh Salterton Reserves on Wednesday (7.30pm) and need to take this level of performance in to a game against a side going for their third successive double over the Tangerines second string.

Rain ruined the first of Wellington Reserves midweek matches in the Premier Division of the Devon and Exeter League when this evening’s visit of Clyst Valley was called off at 5.30pm due to a waterlogged pitch.

Yet another postponement has befallen the team in a season that has been ruined by snow, ice, wind and rain and still leaves them with a dozen home matches to play.

WELLINGTON Reserves’ home match against Clyst Valley tonight has fallen victim to the weather.

The game has been called off in the past few minutes because of a waterlogged Playing Field pitch.

The Reserves, who are facing a fixture backlog, have two more league games at home in the next week – against Willand Reserves on Saturday (3pm) and Budleigh Salterton next Wednesday (7.30pm).

Meanwhile, Wellington’s first team are in Toolstation premier action at Corsham Town on Saturday.