Wakehurst boss not over the ‘Moon after weekend defeat

Wakehurst would have been heavy favourites to improve their position in the table at the expense of the COokstown-based side, who had been sitting in the basement position.

“We put in a decent performance and controlled most of the game but we missed a catalogue of chances and when that happens, you always leave yourself susceptible,” Gregg told Times Sport.

“Their goalkeeper made a couple of wonderful saves, partciuarly one from a Ricky Culbertson header.

“It was one of those that the longer it went without us scoring, the more I feared we might end up getting ‘done’, and that’s exactly what happened with about 10 minutes left.

“If we are going to make progress in this league, this is the sort of game that, even if we can’t force the winner ourselves, we have to make sure we close the game out and take a point.

“It’s a result that shows once again that, barring the exception of maybe a couple of teams up around the top end of the table, anybody can beat anybody else,” added Gregg, whose side made their shortest trip of the season this Saturday when they travel up the A26 to meet Chimney Corner at Allen Park.

Wakehurst certainly had much the better of a disappointing first half where they had the bulk of possession but chances came and went without home keeper Michael Brown being troubled.

Conor Gregg’s 9th minute ‘goal’ from a Mark Crawford delivery was rightly disallowed and this was the closest the visitors came to the single goal that always looked likely to win the game.

The second half saw no improvement in the football with Wakehurst unable to get their usual passing game going and the home team quite happy to continue with an ariel bombardment.

Ricky Culbertson’s well directed header on 78 minutes was the closest his team came to a goal, Brown saving with his feet and as the game looked like petering to a scoreless draw, the home team nicked all 3 points.

Tommy Young caught out the Wakehurst rearguard on 81 minutes with a through ball that left Mark Harkness clear on goal and he slipped the ball past the onrushing Marc Maybin.

Wakehurst: M Maybin, D Stevenson, P Alexander, R Culbertson, M Crawford, R Young, S Mellon, R Gregg, D Gage, J Paul, C Gregg. Subs: L McCaughern, S McIlroy, A Laughlin, D Parker, G Mark.