Spirited Crusaders settle for a point following goalless draw with Welling
Hungerford Town had to settle for a point following a 0-0 draw in a bruising encounter with full time outfit Welling United at Bulpit Lane on Saturday.
It was not a classic but it was competitive, with almost as much entertainment off the ball as on it and, although chances were few and far between, the Crusaders went close to winning all three points late on through both Jerry Gyebi and then Dylan Adjei-Hersey.
It was a lively, combative and at times pulsating contest and Matt Berry-Hargreaves was in the thick of it just two minutes in, clashing with Welling's George Alexander down by the corner flag and, after both assistant referees were called to quell the resulting melee, the centre-half was given a yellow card when the visitors felt he should have seen red, suggesting he'd caught Alexander with a flailing elbow.
Alexander then had a chance with a header after 18 minutes when the impressive Christie Pattisson’s cross found him free at the back post, but he managed neither timing nor direction and his tame effort went straight into the arms of Jed Ward.
Welling were a threat down both flanks and Pattisson caused full-back Ryan Jones all sorts of problems on Hungerford’s left, having two shots blocked by Berry-Hargreaves before trying an alternative route but shooting straight at Ward in the 33rd minute.
The Wings went close a minute later when bodies on the line defending from the hosts thwarted Alexander, whose right-footed shot from close range was blocked before taking an age to bounce beyond Ward’s right-hand post and wide.
There were more injury woes for the Crusaders, who are without prolific pair David Bremang and Dan Roberts, before half time as Jake Evans limped off and was replaced by Joel Rollinson.
The substitute was then involved in Hungerford’s best chance of the first half after tireless work from Louis McGrory, who won what looked at first like a lost cause, laid the ball off to Rollinson whose mishit cross found Adjei-Hersey but the Wimbledon loanee fired his effort just wide.
The hosts had opted to kick up the slope in the first half and it was almost a case of risk and two Ward’s straight after the break when Christie got on the end of his namesake Jed’s long kick up-field, but his left-footed shot was straight at Welling goalkeeper Myles Roberts.
There was danger at the other end as Welling’s two most dangerous players combined when Medi Elito’s slide ball released former Millwall man Chi Ezennolim, who picked out Pattisson at the back post but the attacker’s half volley hit the side netting.
The Crusaders signed three strikers in the week and handed a first league start to Great Evans, the only one of the trio eligible to play, but the frontman was forced to feed off scraps, going close just after the hour when he drove into the box but his right-footed shot went just wide.
Visiting goalkeeper Roberts looked confident and commanding all afternoon but he wasn’t forced into making many difficult saves until just over 10 minutes from time, when he had to be at his absolute best to keep out Gyebi’s goal bound effort down to his right following Ryan Jones’ low cross.
Arguably the best chance of the game arrived with six minutes of normal time remaining when Rollinson’s cross from the near side picked out Adjei-Hersey, who was a little off balance and sent his left-footed shot over the bar when he should have at least found the target.
Welling boss Warren Feeney, who was so animated with some of the tackles flying in at one point he looked set to storm the pitch, introduced Antony Papadopolous and went two up front in an effort to win the game and was almost rewarded in the first minute of four added when the 20-year-old charged down Jed Ward’s clearance, but the ball rebounded wide.
There was still time for one more flurry forward for the Crusaders, but neither Rollinson nor Adjei-Hersey, who almost took each other out at the back post in the process, could get on the end of Rhys Tyler’s cross and the hosts had to be content with a hard-fought point.
While a point doesn't necessarily do much to further Hungerford's National League South survival ambitions, other results – four of the bottom five drew, while Weymouth beat Tuesday night's opponents Dartford 3-1 – mean that the Crusaders don't lose ground on most of the teams around them, leaving them second from bottom and still four points below Cheshunt in 20th.
The Crusaders, who are unbeaten at home in three in the league, welcome second placed Dartford to Bulpit Lane on Tuesday evening ahead of a crucial run of matches in which Hungerford take on fellow survival contenders Slough, Weymouth and Hampton and Richmond Borough.
Boss Danny Robinson was a little disappointed not to take all three, but admitted it could well prove a valuable point come the end of the season.
"We'll see if it's a good point come the end of the season," he said.
"We shouldn't be getting anywhere near these full time sides, so I thought we did brilliantly.
"For 75 per cent of the game I thought we were the better team and we had a glorious chance to win it at the end.
"I'll never moan at my players as long as they give me everything, all I can say is that I'm proud."
While David Bremang, who scored four goals in his first four Crusaders games, is out for the season, Dan Roberts is set to return in time for next weekend's trip to Slough and new signings Joe Boachie and Fabio Lopes should become available, pending the particulars of their paperwork.
Hungerford's one available frontman, Great Evans, scored on his debut in the Berks and Bucks Cup in midweek and showed glimpses of what he can do on Saturday and Robinson will be hoping he'll be able to chip in with some crucial goals as the Crusaders approach crunch time.
He said: "We were a bit frustrated we couldn't play Joe this afternoon, but there was some red tape with the FA that's set us back a bit.
"To lose two top strikers in the space of five days sums up our season.
"I thought Great did well, holding the ball up and bringing others into play, and we're looking forward to seeing him and the rest of the new lads.
"I have to praise Patrick (Chambers, chairman) for getting the deals done, we think we've brought in some good footballers."
Down the other end, centre-back Jerry Gyebi put in one of his best performances to date on his return to the team while Matt Berry-Hargreaves, so often impressive in a Hungerford shirt, was superb.
"Jerry missed last week's game because he was late, he didn't arrive until 2:30 for a 3 o'clock kick-off and that's unacceptable and he knows that," Robinson said.
"He was excellent alongside Matt Berry Hargreaves, who was outstanding and I thought was by far our best player."
Hungerford welcome Dartford, who are second but have only won two of their last five, to Bulpit Lane on Tuesday night and while Robinson is full of respect for experienced manager Alan Dowson, he's hopeful the Crusaders can maintain their fine form at home.
"We've got nothing to fear," he said.
"Dowse is phenomenal but we're playing well and are full of belief, I'm confident we can keep that going."
