3am work starts this week meant I couldn’t venture too far on Tuesday evening for a game of football and as we’re nearing the last few weeks of the season the choices will thin out even more as we close in on the end of the campaign.
Just a few miles up the road was the destination to ensure I still managed to get at least a few hours sleep before the ungodly hour the alarm was set for. Try as I do this time of year to pick a match with something riding on it, the only choice between two matches was for one of these.
Wick have had a solid first season back in the Southern Combination Premier Division. Nothing spectacular but the brief for Lee Baldwin and Jon Tucker was to keep the club in the division. Their opponents Crawley Down Gatwick I last saw a couple of months ago exiting the Isuzu FA Vase at home to Fleet Town after a record run in the competition.
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The weather once again has flipped from a mild warmth to a chill and half the temperatures of the previous few days, so once again the big coat was in action while I waited for Steve and Gareth to arrive.
Previously this season one of those two arrived after the kick off time and missed the only goal of the game, however both were in situ luckily for kick off and there wasn’t long to wait for the first goal.
Just five minutes on the clock and the home side were in front. Shane Brazil picked up the ball and placed it into the bottom right hand corner past Alex Bellingham.
The visitors then went two down after 17 minutes, a swift move across and up the pitch from the Dragons saw the ball land at the feet of Brazil at the far post and he slammed it into the net to double Wick’s lead.
CDG were however looking impressive moving the ball down the pitch until it got to the penalty area, a lack of good choice into the box meant Wick were comfortable on their two goal lead.
However, just as they seemed set for a clean sheet at half-time, the visitors were back in the game. Callum Kilkenny who was a bright spark all evening produced a sweet finish to alter the half time talk a little for both managers.
Seven minutes after the break they were level, Kilkenny again with plenty of space and rifling the ball past Keelan Belcher. The game then went end to end with both sides trying to find a third goal, Bellingham tipping over a looping effort whilst Belcher saved his side on a couple of occasions.
Eighteen minutes from time a third goal did materialise, and it was the home side who got it, substitute George Bingham heading home from a corner with Bellingham no chance to claw it out.
The pressure though came from the visitors for the remainder of the match with Wick dropping a little deep at times, but they held firm to record their fourth straight win and edging closer to mid-table safety whilst putting a small dent into the play-off charge for the visitors.
CDG were missing quite a few regulars through injury having talked to Chairman Dave Connor before kick-off, it also looked as if Wick were going to run riot with those early goals, but the visitors came back into it well.
Being that it’s one of my former clubs to be involved with, always plenty of people to know at Wick and speaking to Sue Knight and Terry Doyle before kick off there is plenty happening around the club and more ambitious plans hoping to bear fruit in the future.
The club are about a win or two away from being assured safety in their first season back at this level, Lee and Jon almost mission complete for the season. Good to see Stuart Robinson at half time to chew over the fat of Sussex non-league football.
Despite the loss for the visitors they are still firmly in the play-off conversation and still a game in hand on those above them. At the moment they sit outside those places on goal difference only and with two of the other contenders meeting this coming weekend they could well be jumping up a place or two if they can beat Lingfield at The Haven.
Exciting plans as well in hand up near the airport, great to catch up with David again early in the game to hear what they’ve got in store, a bit like Wick a diluted catchment area and with an EFL club thrown in for good measure like most they have their work cut out.
