Hopes of extending their six-match unbeaten league run were ended when Welling United were well beaten by St Albans City at Park View Road.

After the game, Welling manager Warren Feeney was forthright in his comments. “The score-line says it all to be honest.” He said “Two terrible goals to give away in the first half. I looked at the game (before that point) and thought there’s nothing in the game. For me, it’s not good enough, nowhere near good enough.

“I told them in there. A big, big, big disappointing day for everyone. It’s unacceptable to me. I can take getting beaten but on the back of six games unbeaten, the expectation levels rise, but some of those players could not handle it one bit. I’ve got to seriously look at that and I’ve got to look at myself. I’m not going to panic over one defeat but I can’t accept what went on today.”

He continued “Players are at their level, unfortunately. We train and I just said to them in there that’s why top players are top players because what goes in stays in. For me today it was in one ear and out of the other. Some players are happy playing at this level. Some have been relegated, some have played in leagues lower and they’ve not been in teams that are trying to do something. That’s something we need to change and I told them that I’m always an honest person.

“They’ve got carried away. Some think they’re safe. It’s a terrible thing to say on the back of six unbeaten but you’ve got to roll your sleeves up, dig in the games, get through them comfortably. We haven’t done that. I’ve seen another side of some of them today when they can’t handle when things aren’t going their way and that’s not something I want in my changing room.”

Two defensive errors made it too easy for St. Albans. Feeney moaned “The goals that we gave away today were awful. I don’t think we were quick enough to move the ball quickly. We got into positions and then we let them get set and that was the disappointing thing but I just don’t know what the mentality is of why we fold like a deck of cards which is a terrible thing to have. It’s got to change. We’ve gone from clean sheets to conceding goals again and that’s expectation levels of players thinking they’ve done enough. Believe me, they’ve done nothing.

“You don’t want to get beaten but I’m actually glad, I just told them in there, that it’s happened because some of you need to seriously look at themselves and I’m not going to have it. I’m not going to accept it. You’ve got an honest board who do everything for them. I’m not saying this because it’s one defeat but I told them you can’t be comfortable, and I’ll weed the comfortable ones out, believe me, I’ve done this before. I know what I want. There’ll be some going and there’ll be players coming in because I’m not accepting that at all.”

In the second half, Feeney introduced former Iraqi international Yaser Kasim for his debut. The Welling manager enthused “He’s a good player, Yas, a good footballer, great pedigree. It’s players like him that I want because when he gets going, believe me, he’ll open up teams. I’m so pleased we got him. He’s a local boy now and he’ll be a great addition for us.”

On Tuesday, Welling visit Cray Valley (PM) in the London Senior Cup. The plan had been to play the under 23 side with a few squad players who need playing time, and that will probably still be the case, however, Feeney said “I’ll look at it but I’m not going to panic over one defeat. It’s just the manner of it that’s disappointed me.”

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.