‘We’ve let it get away from us’
BOSS SAYS TOP FIVE FINISH UNLIKELY FOR HARTLEY WINTNEY
HARTLEY Wintney boss Danny Ackland has written off his side’s chances of a top five finish in the Isthmian League South Central Division this season, insisting he and his squad should be focusing on earning the opportunities to extend their stays in north Hampshire for the 2024-25 campaign.
After Saturday’s fixtures, the Row sat eighth in the South Central table, seven points off the play-off places.
They have nine games left to play, but Ackland believes after Saturday’s 6-2 defeat at South Park the gap is too big to close.
“I don’t think we are talking about play-offs,” said the Row boss, who only took over the reins at the start of October. “I’m focused on being given the role next year and the players are playing to be part of it next year.
“What is so gutting is after the
Leatherhead game [a 1-1 draw] we thought we were in touching distance, in the conversation.
“But then we have had really poor performances against Uxbridge [a 5-0 defeat] and against South Park. “We have let it get away from us.” But Ackland is working on making the Row both more consistent and more solid at the back.
“We brought in Charlie Wagstaffe, who is a little bit more mature and a little bit more experienced,” he said.
“I think sometimes it’s the youthfulness that brings with it the inexperience and inconsistencies.
“But we had a midfield at South Park featuring Wagstaffe and Reece [Wylie], we had Harrison [Bayley] and [George] Winser – they are mature players. We should be better than that performance.
“Our defence is nowhere near as organised as I would like it to be, which I own. It’s down to me.
“That’s something we need to work on and pre-season, if we get given it, a pre-season would help us work on things. We are trying to change things on the hop.
“If we had lost 3-2 [to South Park], it would be a different conversation but it’s the nature of the defeat that is absolutely disgusting.”
Hartley Wintney were 3-0 down at half-time in Reigate on Saturday and then were reduced to 10 men early in the second half, after the referee took offence to the manner in which midfielder Wylie expressed his displeasure at a free-kick given against the Hampshire side.
Despite being a man short, the Row looked to have found a way back into the game when Andry Demira scored on 76 minutes.
However, that hope was shortlived after visiting keeper Louis Evans’ poor pass was easily intercepted by Jamarie Brissett, who made it 4-1.
By full-time, Brissett was Park number nine Aiden Brown had a hat-trick each and were left fighting over the match balls – which themselves caused a few heated moments with the visitors insisting they were flat and Wylie, before his dismissal, petulantly booting one into a nearby field.
The Row pulled a goal back in added on time, Connor Lynch scoring, but Ackland was hugely unhappy with his side’s performance.
“I thought we were poor. Poor in decisive moments in both boxes,” he said. “The goalkeeper has had a very poor game and I didn’t think we were good enough defensively; we didn’t clear the ball quickly enough.
“The goals we conceded were so poor. Academy poor. Which I have to take responsibility for.
“It was good that we kept going in the second half, even with 10 men, but at 3-1 I thought we were back in the game and the keeper goes and gives the ball away.”
Hartley Wintney host Thatcham Town on Saturday.