Wings produce improved performance as they claim point at Concord Rangers

BY MARK DOIG

A 1-1 draw at Concord Rangers gave Welling United their second point of a stop-start season on Tuesday night.

The Wings’ performance in midweek was a massive improvement compared to their previous one.

On Saturday, they collapsed to a poor defeat and there were harsh words in the changing room afterwards. However the work-rate and desire was back at Concord and it contributed to a very entertaining football match.

It started at a very high tempo and rarely slowed down with both teams playing their part.

Rowan Liburd headed wide and Lyle Della-Verde had a shot tipped over as Welling started brightly.

Ben Ward-Cochrane had a shot deflected and slowed down for Chris Haigh to save before the Concord custodian had a tougher one to make from Nathan Green.

Charlee Hughes was well off target with a long-range effort for the Beach Boys before Aron Pollock headed over from a corner.

Frazier Shaw made an important block from Liburd’s shot as Welling went back on to the attack then Haigh was called upon to make a good low save from Ward-Cochrane. However, as much as they probed, they were unable to break the deadlock, again coming close when Green angled a low delivery across the face of goal that nobody was able to reach to tuck home.

There were shouts for penalties at each end – first when Alex Wall went down after Reise Charles-Cook had saved from Lemar Reynolds. That was followed by Shaw’s handling in the penalty area at the other end.

Reynolds had the last chance of the first half when his drive drew a superb full-length save out of Charles-Cook.

Three minutes after the break, there was a third call for a penalty when Wall went down, but although the least convincing of the three, it was awarded. Wall took it himself and buried it into the bottom corner.

However, three minutes later, the score was levelled when Della-Verde capped an excellent Welling second debut with an unstoppable drive from 25 yards.

Della-Verde came close again soon after, but shot wide, then Liburd was off target with a brave diving header when he met Ayo Taniwomo’s fierce cross.

Ryan Scott headed over from a corner as the hosts enjoyed a strong finish. Charles-Cook was called upon to beat out a Reynolds near-post drive before Concord missed a great chance. A long shot was deflected into the path of Sam Blackman but he fired over from close range.

Although the hosts will feel that they might have won, it would have been harsh on Welling and overall, a draw was probably the right result.