Kai McKenzie-Lyle’s last gasp penalty save resulted in Ebbsfleet United and Welling United sharing a point in a feisty encounter.

After the game, Warren Feeney gave his thoughts. “It was a great game to be involved in.” he said.

“You had everything. You’re coming to the team who for me, will be champions. Havant’s a very good side as well but Ebbsfleet have got very good players who move the ball very well.

“Today you can see was eventful, emotional, but the art of defending is to defend for your lives and I thought that we were outstanding today. No disrespect but I think that if we had had eleven on the pitch, we would have won the game because I thought that we were outstanding in the first thirty-five, forty minutes of the game. We had a game plan. We were worrying them because they started hitting balls long and getting frustrated.”

They could have been defeated by the late penalty. Feeney didn’t have any qualms with that award, saying “I think that Jamie (Sendles-White) was a bit unlucky. Dominic (Poleon), who I had at Crawley, mis controlled it and it hit Jamie on the hand and he gave a penalty.”

Stefan Payne and James Dunne were both dismissed. Feeney said “If it’s what he (Payne) said he’s got to take his medicine and get on with it. He’s a fiery player. He’s like me, I was a fiery player myself and you can see me on the side-line. I’m still the same. I wear my heart on my sleeve.”

He was less sure about Dunne’s second yellow card that appeared to be for impeding the referee and he suggested that he may look at an appeal.

Feeney was unsure about how long Payne would be out but said that he had been given the green light to get cover. “We’re looking at a player we’ve had in at training, a very experienced player who fits the bill with what we want so we’ll be trying to get that over the line.”

Playing short-handed is something on which Welling have been working and Feeney felt that it paid dividends. “All week, we’ve worked on overloads.” he confirmed. “I learnt it from a previous manager that I played under playing with men down in training, small sided games, big games, you’re in a two-nil lead, a one-nil lead. You’ve got to defend with a man down. We’re used to what happened today. We’re prepared to train like that.

“I thought that every single one of them, two debuts, Yaser (Kasim) and Sid (Nelson). Kai (McKenzie-Lyle)’s in goal and has been brilliant. I couldn’t fault any of them. They took on the game plan that I wanted and if you look around there in the changing room, there’s men there. Medy Elito played ninety. He’s had Covid. Yas is not up to speed. Sid’s come in from Woking. You’ve Jamie there who’s come in late this season and it makes the other players better.”

Now the team has to re-set for their game on Tuesday evening. He said “I said to the boys ‘That’s finished now. That’s the Lord Mayor’s show finished now’, let’s go and beat Braintree. They’ll have a go at us. They’ll be looking at it. I said to them ‘go and look after yourselves’. Gone are the days where on a Saturday night you were still in the bar on Sunday at one o’clock, I’ve been there myself, but I said to them go and have a glass of wine with your wives and make sure you recover for the game on Tuesday night.”

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.