Wellington 4 Dudley Sports 1 THREE goals in four second-half minutes swept Wellington to a comfortable home success in the Premier Division of the West Midlands League.
Striker Matt Williams bagged a brace for Wellington who thoroughly deserved their victory over struggling Dudley.
The only disappointment for Wellington was a late ankle injury to Steve Brotherwood who was carried off on a stretcher.
Wellington dominated possession in the first half of Saturday’s match and created some good goal-scoring chances.
The lively Wayne McNeil cut in from the left and hit a dipping shot which landed on the roof of Matt Sidaway’s net.
Aaron Morris headed over a Brotherwood free-kick and then the sliding Dale Withers narrowly failed to connect with Andy Price’s flick on.
Sidaway punched clear Will Perkins’ inswinging corner from underneath the crossbar and he made a brave save five minutes before the break.
Ryan Daw danced his way past a Dudley defender and raced into the box where Sidaway was quickly off his line to block the striker’s effort.
Dudley, who played down the slope in the first half, were restricted to Mitchell Lester’s 25-yard free-kick which Matt Eden caught at the second attempt.
But Dudley started the second period quickly and they had a great chance when Ashley Pountney headed Lester’s 53rd-minute freekick straight into Eden’s arms.
Wellington were fortunate that Pountney’s free-header failed to find the net and they made the visitors pay with two goals inside 60 seconds.
Price headed Wellington ahead from Morris’ 59th-minute cross and the goal-scorer immediatley turned provider for the villagers’ second strike.
Price robbed a Dudley defender on the halfway line and ran unchallenged into the Dudley box. With Sidaway anticipating a shot, Price unselfishly slid the ball across the sixyard box for Matt Williams to drive home.
The West Midland club were visibly rocked by the double blow and Wellington killed off the game from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute.
Visiting captain Andrew Blakeley clearly handled a right-wing cross from James Cartwright and Daw coolly rolled the spot-kick past Sidaway.
The visitors reduced the deficit with Richard Esp’s well-struck volley in the 77th minute after Wellington had failed to clear Luke Astley’s long throw.
But Wellington wrapped up the points with a fourth goal with eight minutes remaining.
Matt Williams ran on to a through ball from substitute Paul Jones, rounded Sidaway and then drove an angled shot into the corner of the net past the despairing lunge of defender Pountney.
Big Match statistics MATT WILLIAMS: The Wellington striker scored two goals in the villagers’ comfortable victory over Dudley Sports.
Wellington: Eden, Cartwright, Morris, Green, Withers, McNeil, Perkins (Paul Jones, 73 min), Price, Daw (Phillips, 83 min), Matt Williams, Brotherwood (Nick Williams, 89 min). Subs not used: Mike Craig, Priday.
Dudley Sports: Sidaway, Willetts, Dimmock, Beddard, Astley, Pountney, Russell, Andrew Blakeley, Nathan Phillips, Esp, Lester. Subs: Kirby, Taylor, Ray, O’Neil.
Referee: Russell Thomas (Worcester).
Yellow cards: Wellington: Morris, 68 min, foul. Dudley: Esp, 37 min, foul.
Goals: Price, 59 min, 1-0; Matt Williams, 60 min, 2-0; Daw, 62 min, 3-0; Big Match reaction WELLINGTON manager Derek Williams said: “We had been going to thrash a team for quite a while but we could not get the goals. We had drawn our last two home games but we should have won them.
“I knew that if we could get one goal after half time we would go on to get three or four. Dudley defended very deeply in the first half and, at half time, I told the players not to get frustrated.
“Dale Withers was awesome in defence and Westfields have put seven days on Wayne McNeil but he’s not going. Wayne says he’s happy here so we’re delighted he will be staying with us.”
DUDLEY Sports’ joint-manager Paul Blakeley said: “We had a great opportunity to go in front when we headed straight at the goalkeeper from five yards. That header should have put us 1-0 ahead but, once we conceded, the whole game changed.
“We conceded the second and third goals very quickly. We kept going and pulled a goal back.”
Blakeley added: “We are having a difficult season but we have told the players to keep working hard and, if we can, we will try to improve the squad. But it’s not always easy to bring in new players at this stage of the season.”
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