Hopefully, it’s back to Vanarama National League South action for Welling United on Monday evening when they visit Chelmsford City.

Two consecutive fixtures have had to be postponed due to frozen pitches for the Wings. They were due to visit Farnborough last Tuesday and then host Truro City on Saturday but neither went ahead. As a result, Danny Bloor and his team will be itching to get back into action in Essex.

They last played on the previous Saturday when they entertained Chesterfield in the F.A. Trophy. David Kamara put Welling ahead against the young Spireites team seven minutes after the break and Enoch Muwonge, who only started due to the eleventh hour withdrawal of Adam Roscrow, scored Welling’s second with just six minutes remaining. The Wings’ reward for progression is a home game with Barnet.

It will be the second meeting between Welling and Chelmsford this season. Back in August Welling  suffered the pain of conceding a ninety-ninth minute decider at their J. Hearnden Skip Hire Community stadium. They went behind just after the hour mark to a Charlie Ruff tap-in. However, the Wings levelled with seven minutes remaining through substitute Kain Adom’s first goal for the club.

Each team then had a player dismissed, albeit in separate incidents. Welling’s Amadou Kassarate was first to go before Frankie Terry followed soon after. Then came the sting in the tail. Welling threw men forward looking for the winner from a corner but it was cleared and Chelmsford broke away for Josh Castiglione to tuck away the winner.

Both Welling and Chelmsford were inactive on Saturday as the latter were due to travel to Farnborough whose pitch remained frozen. The Clarets’ last match was also in the Trophy when they went down one-nil at home to Wealdstone. That followed four consecutive league victories including a festive three-nil double over Essex rivals Braintree Town.

At home, their record is less impressive than on the road. They have won just four times, drawn five and lost four. However, they have been victorious in their last two having beaten Torquay United two-nil before the success over Braintree. 

In last season’s corresponding game at the Melbourne Community Stadium, the Wings claimed a hard fought three points when Taylor Maloney smashed home a penalty four minutes into the second half after Dylan Gavin had been fouled. That turned out to be the only goal of the game.

Adom has now left Welling and signed for Gateshead however Roscrow should be available for the  game so the performances of Kamara and Muwonge against Chesterfield will give Bloor choices up front. Also, Joe Ellul is awaiting his debut having been cup-tied in the Trophy so there are also decisions to be made at the back. 

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.