Ten-man Wick outclassed by free-flowing Uckfield

Danny Towers netted Wick's goal in their defeat to AFC Uckfield on Tuesday

Ten-man Wick went down 4-1 at the hands of fellow strugglers Uckfield at Crabtree Park.

Danny Towers fired the home side ahead a minute before the break but it was downhill from then.

An inspired second-half showing saw the visitors fight back and a double from Scott Taylor, along with strikes from Joe Miller and Elliott Wood, gave Uckfield all three points.

Wick joint boss Towers was far from happy with his side’s display and said: “I thought we were very poor.

“We put a lot of effort into Saturday’s game in tough conditions but just did not get going in this one.

“We were really lacklustre –I’d like to say something good about it but I’m struggling.

“I thought Saturday (a 0-0 draw with Newhaven) was a poor game in tricky conditions but we were awful tonight.

“I can’t remember three passes we put together and that’s the worst I’ve seen us play in my time here this season.”

Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes after some Uckfield players got stuck in traffic on the way to the game.

Despite the late start, Uckfield started well and created numerous chances.

Both Wood and Jonathan Hampson wasted good openings inside the first 15 minutes.

Wick went close to going ahead a minute before the break but Dan Simmonds saw his 30-yard thunderbolt crash back off the crossbar.

The home side did go ahead a minute into first half stoppage-time when the unmarked Danny Towers tapped home from two yards after Simmonds found him with a fine whipped free-kick.

Back came Uckfield, though, and they were level less than a minute into the second half.

Wick failed to clear a cross and Taylor fired a first-time strike past Billy Nash.

Things got a lot tougher for the home side on 59 minutes when Matt Noble was given his marching orders for a second yellow card.

Wick managed to hold out until 14 minutes from time but Uckfield then ran riot in the closing stages. They went ahead for the first time on 76 minutes when Dan Andrews’ pinpoint through-ball found Miller, who crashed a strike into the roof of the net.

Wood then delightfully chipped Nash from the edge of the penalty area six minutes from time, before a tough day for Wick was rounded off when Taylor bagged his second in injury-time.

WICK & BARNHAM: Nash; Playle-Howard, D.Towers, Madden, Cox; Desport, Pearce, Chick, Noble, Gray; Simmonds. Subs: Harper (Gray), Menzies (Desport), Eyres (Cox), Dunlop.

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