Magpies clip Welling’s wings (14.08.04)

THE Magpies got their season off to a flying start on Saturday, with a sometimes mouth-watering but ultimately nail-biting victory over the Wings.
As promised, passing football was the order of the day, although the most exciting aspect of United’s game were the surging runs from midfield, with Barrie Matthews, Jamie Cook and Kelvin McIntosh all catching the eye.
Roving full-backs Bryan Smith and man-of-the-match contender Chris Elsegood added some extra width in attack, while old faithful Brian Connor and Andy Dugdale were rock-like in the heart of United’s defence.
Completing the picture were workmanlike showings from Rob Saunders, Lawrence Yaku and the gutsy Craig O’Connor, and a thoroughly professional performance between the sticks from Nick Hart.
In contrast, only midfield dynamo Jamie Day, goalkeeper Martin Brennan and the two centre-halves performed for the Wings, who looked out of shape and out of luck.
Despite this, the early exchanges were surprisingly even, as the two teams sized each other up. But as the game progressed United’s midfield gradually took control and went on to dominate the next hour of football.
Indeed, had it not been for a string of good saves from Brennan, the game would have been done and dusted by half time.
United’s long period of supremacy began with Rob Saunders testing Brennan with a crisp volley from the edge of the box on 22 minutes. Cook then set up Yaku, only for the striker to dither and squander the chance.
Minutes later Cook went it alone, drifting into the box and rifling the ball goalwards, his shot hitting the keeper in the face on its way out for a corner.
From the resulting set piece, Matthews swung the ball to the edge of the box, Smith rose to head it towards the far post, and O’Connor nipped in and thumped the ball into the roof of the net.
The first meaningful action of the second half resulted in United’s second goal, when nifty skills from Matthews released Smith down the right wing.
The rangy full-back completed the move by firing a low cross into the box for Yaku to touch home at the near post.
Two goals to the good – and with the points seemingly in the bag – the Magpies began stroking the ball around, as their tired-looking hosts began chasing the game.
However, this confidence was accompanied by some cavalier defending, allowing half-time substitute Stephen Hughes to fire two shots across the face of United’s goal in quick succession. A rapid counter-attack then caught Smith out of position and Hughes finally beat the keeper, only to be denied by Matthews, who had tracked back to clear the ball off the line.
Paul Booth followed up with a header, but Hart had recovered and smothered the ball on the line.
United still refused to heed the warnings and Hughes finally made them pay, when he broke away from the half-way line and steered a shot across Hart and inside the far post.
Lifted by the goal, Welling pushed for an equaliser in the remaining 15 minutes.
However, United substituted Brendan Gallen for Jamie Cook to shore up the defence, and played out the final few minutes for a thoroughly deserved win.