Welling beat Havant & Waterlooville 3-2 as boss Danny Bloor ends wait for a win

BY MARK DOIG

Danny Bloor’s wait for his first win as Welling United manager ended as his team claimed a deserved win over Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday.

Having both of his first-choice wingers available for the first time this season was a boost for Bloor. Lewis White made his first start for the club on the left wing, joining Jephte Tanga on the right side and they gave the Hawks a troublesome afternoon.

Conceding, seven minutes from time, meant that Welling had to keep alert for the last period of the game but they were not unduly troubled and the scoreline made the game look tighter than it was.

After an opening 10 minutes in which the visitors had two off-target efforts, Welling were much the better team. Tanga might have scored his first Welling goal when meeting White’s cross, but was unable to head home. Welling went ahead from their next attack. Tanga’s perfectly-weighted pass put Alex MacAllister in behind and he went past Ross Worner before clipping it home despite Joe McNerney’s attempt to clear off the line.

Antony Papadopoulos did well to bring down an awkward high Havant clearance and shot just wide then the commanding Lachlan Byrd was unable to find the target with a header when stretching to meet James Vaughan’s corner.

Five first-half minutes remained when the Hawks equalised. Tom Blair’s cross caused a moment of uncertainty in the Welling defence and Muhammadu Faal blasted home via the underside of the bar.

Going in level after a late equaliser might have deflated a team that was still without a point, but Bloor and his management team did not allow that to be the case and the Wings came out flying.

Byrd headed over from a Vaughan free-kick before the visitors gifted Welling the lead. Jack Burchell’s long free-kick caused disarray in the visitors defence. Worner claimed it unconvincingly but didn’t hold on to it and it fell to White, who had the presence of mind to look up and drill it home for a full debut goal. That proved to be White’s last piece of the action as he had to leave the field with a minor shoulder injury soon after, and was replaced by Kain Adom.

MacAllister came close to scoring again when he met Tanga’s cross with a powerful header that was tipped over by a flying Worner then, after two Havant efforts had flown well over, Tanga found Adom, who was also unable to keep his effort down.

Vaughan flashed a shot wide before MacAllister was withdrawn with just under 20 minutes remaining, to be replaced by David Kamara.

It took the 17-year-old less than a minute to make his mark. He collected a long pass down the touchline with a couple of touches to get him into a better position, and from there he arrowed a 20-yard drive just inside the far post.

Seven minutes remained when the Hawks pulled one back through substitute Callum Kealy. Incisive Havant passing gave him the chance and he took full advantage from a tight angle.

Although that created nervousness on the terraces, it didn’t appear to do so on the pitch and Havant only managed a couple of hopeful efforts, which Welling goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom collected easily for the hosts, to see out the six minutes of additional time.

PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN