Welling hold on – despite Alex Lankshear seeing red – to secure win against Enfield
BY MARK DOIG
Despite playing the last 30-plus minutes with 10 men Welling United dug deep to beat Enfield Town.
Two yellow cards in seven minutes for Alex Lankshear resulted in him being sent for an early bath and changed the complexion of the match that the Wings had controlled until that point.
Manager Rod Stringer returned to the dug out following his one match touchline ban, served when they won at St. Albans City four days earlier. He made one change to the starting line-up, replacing TJ Bramble with Elliot Long. New signing Josh Redfearn was named amongst the substitutes on the bench.
Yet again, Welling’s main problems were their difficulties in the opposing penalty area. They had to depend on a goal direct from a corner after which they missed a penalty and an open goal against the club with the worst defence in the division.
Anointed Chukwu had Welling’s first opportunity when played through by |Maxwell Statham, and his shot was a palm stinger for Rhys Forster who turned it over.
Sam Youngs headed wide for the visitors before Long was thwarted by a last ditch block by Xavier Benjamin at the cost of another corner. Daniel Martin delivered a low inswinger that evaded everyone and found its way into the net.
Martell Taylor-Crossdale’s pace then got him beyond the Enfield back three however his effort rolled across the face of goal before Welling missed a great opportunity just before the half time break. Lankshear was brought down in the penalty area and Welling were awarded their first spot kick of the season. Taylor-Crossdale took the responsibility but his standing foot slipped just before he made contact and his effort came back out off the top of the post.
That gave the Towners a massive boost during the half time talk but Welling didn’t appear to be too deflated and continued to look in control when they came back out. Kwaku Donkor gave Long another opportunity and his shot was deflected before Lankshear was cautioned for what appeared to be no more than a foul.
Just shy of the hour mark, Lankshear made a tackle on Harley Mills that appeared to be firm but fair, however, referee Harry Wager showed him a second yellow card and sent him off. Stringer reacted by sacrificing Taylor-Crossdale for Chiori Johnson and reverting to a four-four-one formation.
Despite having a little more of the possession, Enfield struggled to break Welling down and Rhys Lovett only had an easy save from Lennon Peake to make before the final ten minutes.
Lovett was then called into proper action and made a brilliant save to keep out Youngs’ header from a cross by Billy Leonard.
It wasn’t one way traffic, though, and Martin fired a free kick over before Welling had a great chance to finish the match. Bramble sent Redfearn through and he rounded Forster before his shot was cleared off the line by Benjamin.
As the game moved into stoppage time, Lovett did well to hold onto a raking free kick by Peake before Daniel Cox headed the Towners’ last chance over.
After five successive defeats, six points in four days moved the Wings towards mid-table ahead of their trip to Dorking Wanderers on Saturday.
PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN