After their disappointing return to home on Saturday, Welling United are back on the road with a Tuesday night visit to Bognor Regis Town.

Although Welling’s work-rate was not a problem and their midfield movement was good, especially in the first half, they struggled for clear cut chances on Saturday. Too many crosses were over-hit and too many final passes mis-placed.

Lack of creativity combined with some individual mistakes at the back, in-form Oxford City took full advantage and claimed a well deserved three points.

When Welling have had similar poor days they have rebounded quickly and manager Jamie Coyle will be looking for an immediate response at Bognor. “We’ve got to take the game to them.”he said..

“We’ve got to win, it’s as simple as that. If we want to push on and get into the play-offs and finish the season strongly, we need to win the game so the whole message that we’ll put to the players is about winning it.”

One player who did come out of the defeat with credit was substitute Jamie Philpot. He gave Welling hope with an equaliser three minutes after coming on and created more in his twenty-five minutes than anyone else in the whole game.

He has done his chances of a start at Bognor no harm at all and there may be a decision to make at centre-back too. Jack Parkinson had to be withdrawn on Saturday with an abductor strain and Coyle elected to replace him with Connor Dymond rather than bringing himself on. Should Parkinson not be able to return, he will have to make a choice between the same options in Sussex.

Bognor will not be taken lightly as although they are ten points away from safety, they will be scrapping for their lives. However, they were beaten 2-0 at home by East Thurrock United on Saturday and have won only three out of their sixteen home games this season including their first two.

When the two teams met at Park View Road in August they played out a crazy game. Jimmy Muitt feasted on a defensive error and put the Rocks ahead in the ninth minute but within four minutes, Welling not only levelled but went ahead.

First Coyle headed home from a Dymond corner, then Bradley Goldberg scored his first Welling goal with a strike from twenty yards. Nine minutes later, Bognor levelled helped by another defensive error. Doug Tuck crossed and goalkeeper Dillon Barnes turned it into his own net.

Things quietened down after that until twenty minutes into the second half when Bognor regained the lead, rather against the run of play, when Ollie Pearce finished from Muitt’s cross. Again, the lead lasted just two minutes before Joe Healy fired home from twenty-five yards.

Both teams had a good chance to win it on a glorious summer afternoon but had to be content with a point apiece.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.