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Tuesday 4 August

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Saturday 22 September 2007	CONFERENCE SOUTH
Welling United 3 Eastleigh 1 Solomon 36 Quintyn 55 Carpenter 59 Hann 79 429

1 Clark Masters   2 Leon Solomon   3 Robbie Ryan   4 Richard Carpenter   5 Chris Moore   6 Tony Sinclair   7 Adam Cottrell   8 Neil Smith   9 Ross Montague   10 Fabian Quintyn 11 Marlon Patterson 12 Jerome Boyce (8, 64 mins)   13 Jamie Turner   14 Lloyd Blackman (10, 85 mins)   15 Orlando Smith   16 Michael Johnson

Referee Mr. N. Hair Linesmen Mr. R. Baker Mr. C. Hicks

1 James Pullen   2 Chris Piper   3 Luke Byles   4 Anthony Riviere   5 Andy Harris 6 Rob Marshall   7 Karim El Salahi   8 Craig O'Connor   9 Paul Sales   10 David Hughes   11 Damian Scannell   12 Matt Hann (11, 59 mins)   14 Adam Roberts (8, 75 mins)   15 Andy Forbes (5, 59 mins)   16 Danny Smith   17 Wayne Shaw

Following Friday's spate of signings it was all change with the starting XI: in came Ross Montague up front and Marlon Patterson on the left of midfield in place of the injured Omari Coleman and departed Daniel Maxwell. Jerome Boyce joined Jamie Turner, Lloyd Blackman, Mucu and Magic on the bench. Having played right back last weekend and left midfield during the week, Leon Solomon was shuffled to the right wing for this game with Adam Cottrell continuing at right back.

It was a slow-burner of a game with neither goalkeeper being asked to do anything too strenuous for the first half an hour. Clark Masters saw visiting manager David Hughes curl a free kick wide of the far post before the Wings took the lead with a move involving both the new boys. Patterson knocked the ball up the line and Fabian Quintyn seized on a poor headed clearance before suring into the left side of the penalty area. His found Montague, with his back to goal and he teed up Solomon who curled a shot past the helpless James Pullen between the visitors' posts, his first goal in a Welling shirt, something that would set the tone for the afternoon.

It hadn't been a dirty game but referee Hair was in danger of losing control as he continually failed to administer even teh slightest lecture to offending players and WIE was convinced he'd left his cards at home when he allowed Hughes off without censure not only for a dreadful two-footed lunge but also for the endless dissent shown in the aftermath. Maybe if Hughes concentrated more on playing and managing instead of trying to referee the game his side might be a bit more successful...

Montague nodded the resulting free kick wide only for Hair to give a corner but predictably he evened things up in blowing for a non-existent foul on Pullen as soon as the corner was taken. Hair's poor game continued as he failed to spot the ball striking Quintyn's hand when the nippy striker was picked out by Solomon. Quintyn's shot then took the most blatant deflection which was again not seen by either Hair or his linesman.

Unlike previous games the home side weren't out early for the second period, milling around chatting like a Sunday league outfit and maybe this had something to do with no disasters striking in the opening minutes of the half.

The new players combined once again as the Welling extended their lead 10 minutes after the restart. Another poor clearance gifted the Wings possession and Montague fed the ball to Quintyn who spread it wide left. Patterson sent in a glorious cross which bamboozled Karim El Salahi, Montague sent it back across goal and there was Quintyn to fire past Pullen to open his Wings account.

2-0 became 3-0 with minutes. Hair finally found his cards to caution Rob Marshall for a foul near the corner flag. Richard Carpenter's free kick deceived Pullen as it dropped under the bar at the far post to make it a trio of ducks being broken. Whether it was deliberate is up for debate and the skipper's lack of celebration may be an indication.

The Spitfires rang the changes, sending on last season's top scorer Andy Forbes and recent signing Matt Hann but they continued to look like a group of individuals rather than a team, something that's not really a surprise when one bloke signs the players for another to manage.

Paul Sales failed to convert from close range but it was the home side creating the better chances. Montague saw a rasping drive beaten away by Pullen and then another tipped over the bar; no doubt the keeper will be gutted not to receive credit for the only decent thing he did all afternoon as Hair and his linesman again failed to spot it was a corner.

The Spitfires' last roll of the dice saw new signing Craig O'Connor replaced by Adam Roberts without even the chance to have a crack. No doubt he was ecstatic to be substituted.

Hann scored Eastleigh's consolation effort with a deflected shot following a Welling throw deep in the visitors' territory. Whatever claims there were to a foul on Quintyn you still shouldn't let the opposition waltz 100 yards up the park unchallenged.

That makes it five wins from five for the Wings against Eastleigh - can we play them every week?

Russ