Wellington Amateurs eyeing a great escape
Joint boss Steve Barrow is ‘quietly confident’ Wellington Amateurs can pull off a great escape after drawing 2-2 with title chasers Wolverhampton Sporting.
The School Grove outfit are at the foot of the West Midlands League Premier table, with just eight points from 22 games and a goal difference of minus 77.
They have been boosted, though, by back-to-back stalemates – with third-placed Sporting on Saturday, and fellow strugglers Pegasus Juniors before Christmas.
Although, having led twice through Ryan Bradshaw and Liam Kirston at Sporting, Barrow admits there is a feeling of what might have been among the squad.
“I’ve got mixed feelings, actually, as we led twice,” said Barrow, who manages the club alongside Juan Dopazo.
“Their first equaliser came in the 44th minute, right on the stroke of half-time, and the second leveller was in the 87th from the spot after a harsh penalty decision.
“We would have snatched your arm off for a point but, in the circumstances, it was frustrating. The penalty seemed a bit soft.
“But the boys went from being gutted, to realising it’s a good point.”
Barrow and Dopazo, from Venezuela, took over recently with the unenviable task of keeping Ams up.
The pair oversaw the club’s first league victory of the season – a 2-0 triumph over Dudley Town on November 11 – and have overhauled the squad.
“It’s two draws on the spin now and this new side has been given a boost in confidence,” said Barrow.
“On Saturday, Juan came up with the way to set up and it worked very well.
“With where we are, we know draws aren’t really good enough.
“But I’m quietly confident that we can pull this off.
“There was a losing mentality here, it becomes a habit.
“You weed out where you need to weed out and now I have confidence in the group.
“I trust them and there’s a lot of football to be played yet.”
Barrow feels progress is being made. And an example of their development in the past few months is that on October 4, they were thrashed 11-0 at home by Sporting.
“We take heart from the fact that, not so long ago, Sporting won the reverse fixture 11-0. We weren’t embarrassed on Saturday, we held our own,” added Barrow.
