Dipo Akinyemi rescued a point for Welling United with a late goal at Braintree Town on Tuesday night.

However, Welling will consider that it was still two points dropped after missing a string of great chances.

Injury to Reise Charles-Cook meant that Welling had to bring in goalkeeper Nathan Harness on loan from Charlton Athletic and he was given the chance to settle any nerves that he may have had with an early low save from Correy Davidson.

After that, most of the action was at the other end with Welling missing chance after chance. First Lyle Della-Verde went on a diagonal run before his clever reverse pass was just out of the reach of Rowan Liburd. Liburd then shot wide of the near post after good work by Akinyemi before beating the goalkeeper but also the far post after more good work by Della-Verde.

Della-Verde was the next to come close when his shot was cleared off the line by Taofiq Olomowewe then in the second phase, Della-Verde’s shot was saved by Patrick Ohman.

Against the run of play, it appeared that the hosts had gone ahead when Davidson volleyed home from Johnville Renee’s cross but the assistant referee at the other end of the pitch had her flag raised for a throw in to Welling from the start of the move.

Nathan Green shot wide of the post for Welling then Joe Lesley fired well over at the other end before Anthony Cook appeared to be caught in the penalty are just before the break but nothing was given.

Early in the second period, Mustapha Olagunju sent Liburd in behind but Ohman made a brilliant double save to keep the scoreline level. Then a long Green run enabled him to set up Liburd once more but again, he was unable to beat Ohman.

Johnson headed wide from a corner for Braintree before Ohman saved Anthony Cook’s long shot.

Neither team was able to create much for the next twenty minutes before the Iron broke the deadlock with nine minutes remaining. Having given away a cheap free kick Welling failed to cut out the delivery and Thomas Derry headed home gleefully.

It looked as though that would be sufficient for Braintree to leap-frog Welling in the table but Akinyemi had other ideas and received Della-Verde’s pass before firing into the top corner from twenty-five yards with one minute remaining.

Although, they will feel that they should have won, the point extended Welling’s unbeaten league run to four games ahead of Saturday’s home game with Chippenham Town.

Braintree Town: Ohman, Johnson-Shuster, Smith, Johnson, Olomowewe, Allen, Renne (Bassett 55), Krasniqi, Derry, Leslie (Gordon 65), Davidson (Kiangebeni 90+).

Subs not used: Clements, Charles. 

Goalscorers: Derry (81)

Yellow cards: Allen

Red cards: None

Welling United: Harness, Cook (Ilic 83), Green, Beeden, Hobbs, Olagunju, Shokunbi, Johnson, Liburd (Isiaka 70), Akinyemi, Della-Verde.

Subs not used: Ainsworth, Ryan, Headley.

Goalscorers: Akinyemi (89)

Yellow cards: None

Red cards: None

Referee: Paul Johnson 

Assistant referees: Thomas Kelly and Emily Heaslip

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.