Braintree Town 2 Welling 2 – Wings fight back to rescue a point

26 January 2022 Sports Reporter

BY MARK DOIG

Headers from Dipo Akinyemi and Aaron Barnes rescued a point for Welling in their crucial game at Braintree Town.

Both teams are battling to avoid the drop and when Braintree took a two-goal lead it looked bleak for the visitors. However they showed great determination and came home with the minimum requirement courtesy of goals by two former Dulwich Hamlet players.

Matthew Johnson celebrates opening the scoring

Billy Johnson and Jack Sims made early straightforward saves as the teams traded half-chances and that was the story of the first half an hour. Welling enjoyed more of the possession but struggled to create clear openings.

That changed 10 minutes before half time when Braintree went ahead in sightly fortuitous circumstances. Jay Porter crossed and Sims punched out but it hit Matthew Johnson on the forehead and flew back into the net.

Luke Holness, right, puts the Irons two up

Mason Saunders-Henry looked for a quick response with a shot that was well saved by Johnson. Ade Shokunbi then volleyed well wide before Johnson was again called into action when turning an Akinyemi shot around the post.

There was less than two second-half minutes on the clock when Braintree doubled their lead. Matthew Johnson’s long throw was half cleared and Luke Holness bundled it home.

Holness might have made it three soon after when he got clear but he shot wide of the near post.

Danny Parish stays on his feet inside the area

Chi Ezennolim shot wide and Danny Parish had a low shot saved before Welling reduced the arrears. A corner was nodded back across goal and Akinyemi rose to head home.

Matthew Johnson headed over from a Braintree corner before Barnes curled a shot just wide from the edge of the area.

Barnes made no mistake with his next effort. Maxwell Statham whipped in a delicious cross that Barnes met with a fierce header that bulleted home.

Dipo Akinyemi heads the first goal for Welling

Kyran Clements headed over for the Iron before Welling took command. Akinyemi drew a save out of Johnson before his spectacular overhead effort drifted just wide. Once more he tested the Braintree goalkeeper but again Johnson was equal to it before the Wings survived a goalmouth scramble which ended with a Braintree foul.

Bradley Stevenson came off the bench for Welling and shot inches wide and came close again in injury time when his free-kick clipped the roof of the net.

Although they had to settle for a point, Welling kept daylight between the two teams as they extended their unbeaten away run to three games.