No new manager bounce for Welling as they lost 2-1 at Hampton & Richmond

BY MARK DOIG

There was no new manager bounce as Welling United crashed to National League South defeat at Hampton & Richmond Borough on Tuesday.

Following the departure of Peter Taylor after Saturday’s draw with Bath City, Warren Feeney was introduced as the new manager. If he did not know of the enormity of the task ahead of him, the performance at Hampton will give him a little more idea.

Two new centre-backs, Taylor Curran and Jamie White, were given debuts along with midfielder Ben Wells.

There was not a lot to choose between the two sides for the opening 30 minutes but several unnecessarily rash tackles outside their own penalty area did not help Welling’s cause.

Most of Welling’s first-half chances were created by Joe Muscatt. The first one fell to him, but he could not keep his first time shot down. Bradley Stevenson then sent Ben Allen away but former Bromley and Welling goalkeeper Reise Charles-Cook did well to make the save on his Hampton debut.

Then the giving away of needless free-kicks started. James Roberts’ first one from the edge of the area was well saved by Jack Sims, then the second one drew a sensational save out of him as he dived full length to tip it on to the post and out.

Dipo Akinyemi headed wide from a Muscatt cross before another free-kick on the edge of the penalty area was punished. Roberts again fired it over the wall, and this time beyond the reach of the helpless Sims.

Looking for a quick response, Muscatt spread play out to the left hand side and Akinyemi burst away before surging in. He hit a powerful shot towards the near post, but Charles-Cook got down well to push it on to the upright and out for a corner.

Sims made another excellent save, a close-range block from Brandon Barzey’s effort, before Akinyemi and Stevenson both had attempts deflected wide.

Chi Ezennolim cleared off the line from Destiny Oladipo before Roberts again cleared the defensive wall with a free-kick, but it drifted wide.

If Feeney spoke to the Wings players about conceding free-kicks on the edge of the penalty area in his half-time talk, it wasn’t heeded. In the ninth minute of the second half, another foul was punished when Kyron Farrell took the responsibility and sent his free-kick around the wall and into the bottom corner.

Standard saves by Sims from Imran Uche and Roberts followed before the Welling goalkeeper made a stunning save at full length to tip over a shot by Uche that took a deflection that caused it to dip late.

Seven minutes were left on the clock when Welling pulled one back in a rare foray forward.

Akinyemi retrieved an overhit cross and eased back across the penalty area before firing low inside the far post.

That proved to be no more than a consolation goal as, other than a shot by Tom Derry that was blocked by Zach Dronfield, Welling did not threaten again.

PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN

Main Pic: Dipo Akinyemi gets a shot on goal