Welling United (0) 2 Sodje (og) 46 Blackman 85
Gillingham (0) 2 Sodje 47 Brown 54
Att. 543
Entrance: £10
Programme: £1.50
Mileage 71/313
As much as pre-season is eagerly anticipated, more so this year for the reasons given in the Thamesmead report, it is a welcome relief when the phoney war is over and the competitive action can begin. And so it was that we pitched up at Park View Road for a last look at our heroes(!!) before next week's grand entry at Cheltenham.Unfortunately, the heroes never turned up, just a bunch of journeymen in Gillingham shirts, certainly not a team that is going to achieve the promotion we all hope for. Perhaps it was the weather, after the drudge of a summer we've endured, just in time for opening day, 30degC turns up, cricket weather indeed. To sideline at this point, while the footballers were labouring, Kent's county cricketers were achieving glory at Edgbaston with a semi-final win against Sussex and later in the final against Gloucester, now that was thrilling.
Welling made a decent fist of the game, scoring the best goal and generally matching their League One opponents. For the Gills, Derek Stille made his first appearance in goal and generally did OK, for myself a first look at Steve Lomas, signed before the 4-2 Tuesday night win against Colchester, when according to reports he ran the midfield, not so today. All over the pitch, Gillingham looked insipid, almost tired, perhaps it was just pre-season boredom.
Park View Road has changed a little since I last visited with a new stand replacing the old covered terracing. The open end backing on to the road, still enables you to watch the Red London buses passing by when the tedium takes hold, but for Conference South it is a nice little ground. It would doubtless need further improvement should the Wings attain promotion to the Conference National.
Final point would be that was good to see Neil Smith on the line as manager of Welling, replacing another old Gills favourite, Ade Pennock and on the pitch, Chippy Carpenter and Kevin James now plying their trade at a lower level.
1 comment:
You've beaten me Wink by five friendlies to four....three at the much-improved Badgers Hill and I couldn't resist Bristol City putting one over yet again against those upstarts from Yeovil(where a last kick of the match equalizer made it as good as a win). I thought City charging £12 for a friendly was steep (although it was a quid for the boys) but £15? You did well to break the 3,000 mark...
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