Wellington Rec slump to another defeat

WELLINGTON Rec threw away what should have been a comfortable two-goal interval advantage on Saturday to lose at home to the Amatuer League’s Premier Division’s bottom club for the second week in a row. It is now seven games without a win for the Millbrook-based team.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Mar 2011, 12:05 BST

Manager Neil Candlish said afterwards: “At 2-0 up, we were in a position of strength and the players know they let themselves down. We didn’t perform, we let them play and everything that could go wrong in the second half did go wrong.”

It was Villa who almost opened the scoring inside the opening minute when Brendan Quinn made hard work of keeping out a shot from Ryan McCurdy.

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At the other end, Gary Barkley dragged one wide of the left-hand post, while David Shannon flashed one past the opposite upright, following a neat lay-off from Paul McCann.

While Starrett, Graham McMullan and McCurdy had all gone close for the visitors, it was Wellington who showed the way on 27 minutes when Barkley placed a free-kick into the top corner of the net.

Villa came close to an equaliser on 33 minutes when a long-range free-kick from Andrew Rainey rattled the bar.

However, it was Rec who tightened their grip on 38 minutes, thanks to another composed finish from Barkley, following up after McCann had been crowded out by sweeper Stuart Mellon.

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Abbey Villa looked like a side bottom of the league, low in confidence, and surely a third Wellington goal would have copper-fastened the three points.

However, the Millisle side were offered fresh hope when they clawed one back just three minutes after the turnaround, although Rec could have nipped a possible recovery in the bud, had a header and shot from Barkley not whistled just marginally off-target.

Instead, it was Villa who turned things around with three goals, although there was some hope for Wellington in the last minute when Paul Maguire scored from the spot, after Darren McAllister had been fouled inside the box.

Wellington could have snatched a dramatic equaliser in injury time, but substitute Scott Cowie couldn’t quite dig the ball out from under his feet.

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Wellington Rec: Quinn- Magee (Z. McAllister), O’Neill, Mills (S. Cowie), D. McAllister - Todd, Shannon, Barkley, Magill - McCann, Maguire. Sub (unused) Wharry.

Result: Wellington Rec 3 v Abbey Villa 4

Related topics:Premier Division