Leyton Orient loanee sees red as Welling hit for six at Boreham Wood – with Rod Stringer’s side having won just one in their last six

BY MARK DOIG

Rod Stringer’s Welling United had another disastrous afternoon when thrashed 6-0 at Boreham Wood.

Despite conceding six goals for the first time since 2021, Welling goalkeeper Rhys Lovett was one of the few players from his team to come out of the game with any credit as, without his saves, the scoreline could have been even worse.

Having won just once in their last six league and cup games, Stringer will be looking to utilise the two weeks before their next fixture to consider what actions he and his assistant manager, Kevin Watson, need to take.

He made several changes to his starting line-up from the team that was knocked out of the F.A. Cup seven days earlier, yet they could easily have gone behind with less than a minute on the board when Tyrone Marsh somehow missed the target from inside the six-yard box.

Tom Whelan was next to go close with a shot that clattered the far post before Lovett made the first of his excellent saves to keep out Cameron Coxe when he was clean through on a one versus one. However, the Wings’ custodian was powerless to stop the hosts from going ahead from the corner when Jack Payne was given the freedom of the penalty area to strike home.

Both Whelan and Payne had shots that missed the target before Lovett made another good save after Marsh had tricked his way through.

Midway through the first half, Reece Grant tripped Coxe in the penalty area and Erico Sousa gave Lovett no chance from the spot.

Lovett saved well from Whelan before Stringer made a change when bringing on Maxwell Statham for his second Welling debut. However, four minutes later, Welling conceded again when Marsh teed up Junior Dixon and his shot flew in off the post.

Charlie O’Connell was then denied by a stunning save by Lovett, who saved his header, which appeared to be destined for the bottom corner before Chris Bush headed wide from a Sousa free kick.

Stringer took further action at the half time break and brought on all four of his remaining substitutes for the start of the second period.

At first, it appeared to have an effect as Welling stemmed the tide and even created a couple of decent chances of their own. Elliot Long took a short corner and got it back from former Charlton Athletic midfielder Jack Munns and worked himself into a shooting area from the edge of the penalty area only to fire just over.

Long then got on the end of a good Welling move to send Anointed Chukwu through, but his powerful drive flew wide of the near post.

If 11 versus 11 was tough for the Wings, it got even worse when they were reduced to ten men. Charlie Pegrum appeared to be trying to evade a fierce challenge thirty yards from goal, but the referee saw it differently and considered it to be a dive. As he had been cautioned previously, the yellow card shown this time was quickly followed by a red card, and the Welling youngster had to leave the pitch.

Former Millwall academy striker Abdul Abdulmalik came on as a substitute for the hosts and shot wide of the near post from twenty yards before Welling caved in completely in the last eight minutes. Gus Mafuta curled in a fourth before another outstanding Lovett save kept out Abdulmalik’s shot. From the corner, Dave Winfield headed against his own post, and Kwesi Appiah pounced on the rebound to bundle it home.

One minute later, Johnny Goddard broke down the wing and squared it to Abdulmalik to add a sixth, and it came as a relief to Welling when the referee ended the match without any stoppage time.

PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN