Welling nearing National League South relegation after defeat to Hemel Hempstead Town
BY MARK DOIG
Another home defeat plunged Welling United nearer to the National League South relegation trapdoor as Hemel Hempstead Town returned to Hertfordshire with all three points.
Following the resignation of Welling manager Rod Stringer over the weekend, Brian Statham was put in charge and he made two changes to their starting line-up. Sam Cornish and Zain Walker were given starts in place of Garrett Kelly and Deon Moore. Once again the Wings were without suspended captain Dave Winfield and injured Dan Martin.
Despite the two alterations, Statham kept the team’s formation unchanged with Chiori Johnson continuing at left-back.
For the opening forty-five minutes, there were plenty of chances at both ends and the biggest surprise was that the first half ended goalless.
After Millar Matthews-Lewis had missed the target for the visitors, Welling had the better of the early exchanges. Josh Redfearn headed wide and stabbed over before the lively Sahid Kamara hit a low shot that was saved by Craig King and had another that was deflected wide.
Walker also had a shot that hit a defender to take it past the post before a quick Gene Kennedy free-kick gave the returning wide man another shooting opportunity and his low effort was saved by King.
Strangely, referee Nicholas Dunn awarded Hemel a corner when Matthew-Lewis’ shot flew beyond the post with no obvious deflection and it could have been costly for the Wings when it fell to Joe White. However, his effort was blocked on the line by Maxwell Statham.
Just shy of the half-hour mark, Hemel had a great chance to go ahead. Walker felled Matthew-Lewis in the 18-yard box and a penalty was awarded. Oliver Lynch struck it to his left but Rhys Lovett guessed correctly and pushed it out. Lynch was first to the rebound and went for the far corner but Johnson got back to hack it off the line.
Just before half-time it was Welling’s turn to be thwarted by a goal-line clearance when Ben Tompkins blocked Kennedy’s shot after he had been set up by Kamara.
Early in the second period, Matthew-Lewis fired over before Dan Quick volleyed wide for the Wings.
Lovett was then by far the busier of the two goalkeepers. He made an easy save from a Matthew-Lewis header before he got down well to push a shot by White around the post. He then made an acrobatic tip-over from a Brandon Barzey free-kick before completing an easier save from George Williams’ shot.
He was powerless to do anything about Hemel’s opener with thirteen minutes remaining, though. Barzey was allowed to get down the left wing too easily and he drove it across goal from the bye-line for Lynch to tuck home at the far post.
Five minutes later, Welling levelled. Kamara eased in from the left and shot low inside the post.
Barzey almost put the Tudors back in front when his shot came back out off the post. It fell to Lynch and his shot was blocked over the bar by Riccardo Di Trolio. Then, in injury time, Lovett made another spectacular save when Matthew-Lewis’ shot took a deflection to wrong-foot the Welling custodian.
Those heroics counted for nothing when the visitors scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Mazeed Ogungbo’s header was deemed to have struck a Welling arm and a second penalty was awarded. White took it this time, and made no mistake when sending Lovett the wrong way.
Statham’s side are back in home league action on Saturday with the daunting task of trying to stop league leaders Worthing.
PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN