Welling United have two players sent off in dramatic 2-2 draw with St Albans City

BY MARK DOIG

Although having to settle for a point against St Albans City, Welling United will be looking at the consequences of events within Saturday’s 2-2 draw.
Danny Mills and Arnaud Mendy were dismissed and David Ijaha recorded his 10th yellow card of the season – the trio will miss Saturday’s game at Wealdstone. Jordan Gibbons and Richard Orlu both went off with potential long-term injuries.

Having gone the entire league campaign without a red card, receiving two controversial ones in one game was unexpected, especially as St Albans should already have been down to 10 men, and possibly nine, before Welling’s first dismissal.

Welling conceded in the 11th minute to end their run of three consecutive clean sheets. Sam Merson headed Soloman Sambou’s deep cross back across goal and Zane Banton stooped to head home.

Danny Mills had a shot cleared off the line for Welling but St Albans came close to doubling their lead when James Ewington was given room to shoot but it came back off the base of the post.

Welling found their feet and Dean Snedker had to get down sharply to save a Bradley Goldberg back-heel. Arnaud Mendy fired over as Welling finished the half strongly.

Orlu went off to be replaced by Josh Hill in the 51st minute and the sub had a major impact. Within three minutes he had got on the end of a deep Brendan Kiernan cross and finished from close range. Then after another four minutes he met Kiernan’s corner with a booming header that flew into the back of the net.

In the aftermath of the second goal Sambou and his captain Tom Bender got into an altercation in which there was a meeting of heads before the latter threw two punches at his team-mate. Incredibly, after a conversation with his assistant, referee Tom Bishop only felt that the extreme violent conduct deserved a yellow card to Bender and nothing at all for Sambou – although the latter was substituted immediately.

Bradley Goldberg had a chance to put some daylight between the two teams but Dean Snedker did well to divert his shot round the post with an outstretched boot before Mills’ mysterious dismissal. As he jumped for a header a St Albans player fell to the ground. The referee ran towards the crowd of players and sent Mills off.

Even with ten men, Welling looked comfortable. But with eight minutes remaining they faffed around by their own corner flag and conceded a needless corner. Mendy fouled Merson and a penalty was awarded. That appeared to be sufficient punishment, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Merson sent Wilks the wrong way to level the scores.

Now down to nine men with seven minutes to play and five more additional minutes, that became seven, Welling showed their fighting spirit and restricted the visitors to just one shot on target, a David Moyo effort that Wilks saved comfortably.

IMAGES BY DAVE BROWN