Welling United ease National League South drop fears with 1-0 win over Bath City

BY MARK DOIG

Welling United earned a vital three points in National League South after a 1-0 win over Bath City at Park View Road yesterday.

As the season moves into the latter stages, results tend to have greater significance. Before this game, Bath manager Jerry Gill suggested that this was a match that they had identified as a must-win if they were to make it into the play-offs. Welling had drifted to within five points of the dropzone, so a victory for them was equally as important.

Several recent matches at Welling have been decided by one goal, mostly in favour of the visitors on the day. But on this occasion it was the Wings who claimed the three points. In the corresponding match last season, Welling levelled with nine minutes remaining. They then repeated the trick nine minutes from time at Bath in December. This time around, it took another minute for them to score, but not having conceded earlier.

Dylan Gavin returned for his second spell with the Wings on-loan from Charlton Athletic and goalkeeper Yusuf Mersin came in on emergency loan from Maidstone United to ease Welling’s goalkeeping crisis.

Warren Feeney’s Wings came out the faster and Bath goalkeeper Max Harris was called into action when tipping over a Manny Parry shot. Harris was busy again soon after when Gavin put Ade Azeez in behind but the Romans’ custodian was out quickly to block with his legs.

Christie Pattisson then shook the frame of the goal with a shot that came back out off the underside of the crossbar before James Dunne fired well wide.

Against the run of play, the visitors missed a great chance when Tom Smith crossed but Scott Wilson failed to get a head on it when a touch was all that was needed.

Azeez couldn’t get enough power on a shot to cause Harris too much of a problem then Kodi Lyons-Foster headed wide from a Taylor Maloney corner.

It was Bath who missed the last opportunity of the first period. Opi Edwards headed across the face of goal and a scramble ended with Dan Greenslade shooting over from close range.

After a slow start to the second half, James Morton shot just wide for the visitors from 25 yards before Welling missed a great chance. Chi Ezennolim made space to get a cross in from the byline, only for Azeez to poke it over from inside the six-yard box.

Finally, the deadlock was broken when Maloney sent a corner to the far post, Jamie Sendles-White headed back across the face of goal and Lyons-Foster shot. A desperate defender tried to block it but neither he nor Harris could keep it out.

Greenslade finally drew a first save out of Mersin with a long-range drive that he turned around the post but that was the best that Bath could muster.

Welling visit in-form Chippenham Town on Tuesday hoping to extinguish any remaining relegation worries before hosting Hampton & Richmond Borough next Saturday.

PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN