Welling United drop into National League South bottom three after defeat at Truro
BY MARK DOIG
Welling United dropped into the bottom three in the National League South after a 3-2 defeat at Truro City.
Injury to Dan Martin and the end of Jayden Davis’ loan period meant that Wings manager Rod Stringer had to make two enforced changes to the team that drew with Slough Town seven days earlier.
He welcomed back Harvey Walker and restored Jack Burchell and Anthony Grant while Maxwell Statham dropped to the bench. Chiori Johnson’s injury continued to keep him out of contention whilst Zain Walker was absent through illness.
It took the championship hopefuls less than two minutes to go ahead when Connor Riley-Lowe got on the end of Dominic Johnson-Fisher’s cross and headed home from close range.
Despite playing into the strong wind, the hosts continued to enjoy the better of the early exchanges but only had a low shot from Tyler Harvey, that was saved comfortably by Rhys Lovett, to show for it.
Just after the half hour mark, Welling stunned the team from Cornwall with an equaliser. Dan Quick, who has played for the Wings as a centre-back and holding midfielder at points since joining, moved forward from his right back position and played a delightful pass round the back of the Truro defence. Deon Moore feasted on it and his fierce shot was too strong for goalkeeper Dan Lavercombe to keep out.
Shortly after, Welling had another great chance when Gene Kennedy gave Scott Kashket an opportunity to shoot. His effort was beaten out by Lavercombe to Kennedy and his follow up shot was also well saved.
Burchell did well to get back and clear as Johnson-Fisher went past Lovett before a competitive first half drew to a close.
Hopes that Welling could build on their good finish to the first half were dashed when they were reduced to ten men eight minutes after the break. Harvey manhandled Welling captain Dave Winfield to the ground, and his reaction resulted in a skirmish involving several players. Both players were shown yellow cards, and as Winfield had already been cautioned in the first half, he was sent off.
Stringer responded by replacing Walker and Kashket with Statham and TJ Bramble and setting his team up with two banks of four and one in front in the hope of frustrating Truro and hitting them on the counter attack. That worked until the seventieth minute when Truro went back ahead. Zac Bell got down the right and crossed for Harvey, and he made the most of his marker’s absence by heading home.
Any thoughts that Truro supporters might have had of their team cruising to an easy victory proved to be ill founded as Welling took the game to the Tinners. Statham sent over a cross that just evaded Garrett Kelly at the far post before another substitute, Sahid Kamara, whipped in a free kick that was flicked on but didn’t fall kindly to Riccardo Di Trolio and it hit him with insufficient power to beat Lavercombe who smothered it on the line.
Somewhat unjustly, Truro sucker punched the Wings with seven minutes remaining when a cross was headed out as far as Harvey and he fired home from fifteen yards.
Di Trolio did pull one back in stoppage time when Lavercombe parried Kamara’s shot into his path, but it was too little too late.
Nine games now remain for Welling to try and find the wins needed to stop them from being relegated from step two for the first time in their history.
PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN