On Saturday, Welling United visit Chelmsford City in another tough Vanarama National League South fixture.

After Peter Taylor’s Wings claimed a superb victory at promotion challenging Dulwich Hamlet his bare bones team lost a tight match three-two at home to St Albans City last Saturday.

Having missed a great chance to go ahead in the first minute they went behind one minute later when Alex Lankshear finished from close range. On previous occasions, the Wings might have crumbled as they had at St Albans earlier in the season, but with still less than five minutes on the board they drew level when Danny Parish headed home from a Joe Muscatt corner.  

They then went ahead five minutes before half time when Yannis Drais sent Ade Shokunbi away to round the keeper and slot home. However, they failed to hold their lead to the break and conceded two minutes later when Romeo Akinola fired home. After the interval Parish came close but his header was cleared off the line but it was the visitors who went away with the points when Joy Mukena scored the winner.

Although it was tough on the Wings, they should have some of their walking wounded back in contention and they won’t travel to Essex short of confidence.

It will not be easy for Taylor’s team though. Chelmsford have won their last three league matches and are unbeaten in five. Last Saturday they hosted Bath City and beat them one-nil. Tom Blackwell scored the only goal midway through the first half. That followed wins at Concord Rangers and at home to Braintree Town.

The last time that the two teams met at Chelmsford was in August 2019. Bradley Goldberg put the Wings ahead with just six minutes remaining but they could not hold on and Shaun Jeffers equalised in stoppage time.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.