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Welling United manager Jamie Day says FA Cup defeat to Maidstone and red cards in Vanarama Conference make it worst month in charge

Jamie Day. Picture: Keith Gillard
Jamie Day. Picture: Keith Gillard

Welling boss Jamie Day has admitted the last month has been the toughest of his five years in charge.

The Wings were knocked out of the FA Cup by Maidstone, lost three games in a row in the Vanarama Conference and had two men sent-off in successive away matches.

Day, who celebrated five years in charge at Park View Road last week, said: "At the minute, it's the most difficult time during the five years but I'm proud of what we've done.

"The last four or five weeks have been tough but it tests you as a manager and you have to take the rough with the smooth and get on with it. I'm proud of where this club is at, we're a Conference Premier side at the moment and hopefully it stays that way.

"We came in five years ago with a team that was struggling near the bottom of Conference South. In that time we've lost in the play-offs, built a team that won the championship and then held our own last season.

"Obviously we've had to change personnel this season because players have moved on. We've got a young squad of players, playing better football than we did last year but just not getting the results.

"We want to try and kick on, the vision to go forward is to take the club into full-time. The only way we're going to do that is from bigger support and increased investment. It's not an easy task but I think you need to have dreams of where you want to be as a manager and a club."

Reflecting on how he has coped with the experiences of the last month, Day added: "It's not easy, I don't like getting beat. You do take it home and sometimes you have to forget about it for a day or two.

"We've always said that if we get beat, we dust ourselves down and go again. We need to keep working hard and keep putting the right things in place.

"It's tough but I wouldn't change it. I love football, I love being involved, the only way we get ourselves out of it is working hard and being positive."

Day's squad stopped the run of defeats with a goalless draw at home to play-off hopefuls Macclesfield on Saturday, a game that saw them twice denied by the woodwork.

Welling will be looking for three points this Saturday when they host another team with play-off aspirations in FC Halifax.

"They are a big powerful side and have a long throw that they use to their advantage," said Day.

"If we show the same level (of performance) that we did against Macclesfield and we get beat then fair enough. They've done what I've asked them to do.

"We need to keep that going and hopefully get a little bit of luck and we'll get three points.

"The problem we've got is it's a young squad and we're still learning. If we don't take our chances then we get beat. If you look at games like the one against Barnet, I don't think we've been outclassed."

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