Charlton loanee scores as Welling move within touching distance of National League South safety

BY MARK DOIG

Jason Adigun scored the only goal as Welling United defeated troubled Torquay United to move them further clear of the bottom four.

On loan from Charlton Athletic, the exciting attacking midfield player fired home just after the half-hour mark, five minutes after the visitors were reduced to ten men following a red card.

In previous fixtures between the two clubs, fortunes have favoured the hosts. Torquay have won all five of the encounters between the two clubs at Plainmoor, while the first two games at Park View Road ended all square, and the last two games ended in Welling wins.

Despite having a one-man advantage for over an hour, the Wings struggled to create clear-cut chances. However, other than a twelve-minute spell at the start of the second half, Welling rarely looked in danger of conceding.

Anthony Grant had Welling’s first shot at goal, a 25-yard effort that flew wide before the visitors were awarded a free -ick in a dangerous area. Welling’s assistant manager Kevin Watson appeared unhappy about the set up of the defensive wall but Jake Stobbs’ effort went past it without any bend and it went the wrong side of the near post.

Then came the big incident. Cameron Green looked to have over-run a break out inviting Ross Marshall to make a challenge. Sadly for the Gulls, he was over exuberant and flew in with studs up leaving referee Nathan Oakes with little option than to dismiss him.

Five minutes later, Welling scored the all-important goal. Green played it into Adigun, and he eased inside before shooting low inside the near post and under goalkeeper Mark Halstead.

Lachlan Byrd came close to adding a second in first half stoppage time when heading wide of the near post from Riccardo Di Trolio’s long throw.

After the half time break, the Gulls came out with renewed purpose and Reice Charles-Cook was called upon to make a good save from Brett McGavin before Welling had a let off when Tom Lapslie headed over from a few feet out after meeting Duane Ofori-Acheampong’s flick on.

McGavin then had a deflected shot pushed around the post before Torquay missed another glorious opportunity, with Ofori-Acheampong the culprit. He was picked out by a deep cross by Arkell Jude-Boyd but got his volley all wrong from close range and it skewed back across goal.

Rod Stringer reacted by bringing on Joe Ellul for extra height, and then midfielder Gene Kennedy for striker David Amoo to shore up the middle. Just had been the case at Maidstone on Easter Monday, the astute tactical changes worked perfectly, and Torquay’s threat was nullified.

Kennedy came close to extending Welling’s lead with a powerful 25-yard drive that fizzed inches wide. Then Adigun tried to repeat his first-half trick with a turn and shot, but, on this occasion, his radar was off, and his effort went wide of the near post.

Crossley Lema’s pull back from the bye-line caused Torquay problems and Jack Burchell’s shot wasn’t far off target. Antony Papadopoulos then found Reece Grant, a nuisance to the Torquay defence throughout, but he was unable to keep his shot down.

Asa Hall had a shot deflected wide for Torquay, but the Devonians no longer looked like a threat. Reece Grant might have added a second in stoppage time, but his clever clip went just past the post with Halstead beaten.

Now Stringer will look to Wednesday evening hoping to extend Welling’s run of just two defeats in sixteen league games in the knowledge that a win would confirm hosts Havant and Waterlooville’s relegation whilst probably guaranteeing Welling’s safety.

PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN