Disappointing Welling United slipped to defeat at Guiseley when not playing their best team available.
It was a difficult decision for the Welling management in whether to select the players who were one booking away for a suspension with their F.A. Cup game one week away.
Head coach Matt McEntegart said “When you look at the games we’ve had and the games coming up, and you take into terms the situation of Sam Corne, Ben Jefford and Xav (Xavier Vidal) are all on four bookings so if they were to pick one up today they would be suspended next week.”
Manager Loui Fazakerley backed the decision by saying “That’s what we’ve got a squad for. The players we put in today were more than capable of coming here and getting a result. While we were protecting some of our players, and taking into consideration who will have together next week, I think we had enough quality out there to go and win the game.”
Things may have been different. Michael Bakare had a shot that looked to be handled on the line. Had the referee called the decision, Welling would have been awarded a penalty and Guiseley reduced to ten men.
Two minutes later, Welling paid the cost when Bury loanee Anthony Dudley marked his debut with a sharp finish.
Although Welling played some sharp passing football, they rarely looked threatening and went further behind two minutes before the break.
Gavin Rotherey launched a long ball and Dudley was allowed the touch needed to leave Tom King marooned.
In the second half, Welling continued to play the ball around well, but failed to create too many clear cut chances and Wings’ goalkeeper Tom King made an excellent save from Adam Boyes to keep the goal difference down to two.
Whether the gamble of resting fit first team players was justified will become evident both after next week’s cup game and at the end of the season.
Guiseley: Drench, Toulson, Parker (Porritt 90), Lowe, Lockwood, Lawlor, Atkinson R, Boshell, Boyes (Craddock 90), Rothery, Dudley.
Unused substitutes: Hall, Atkinson D, Porritt, Marsden.
Welling United: King, Williams, Nortei, Taylor (Cumberbatch 71), Fagan (Jefford 82), Lokko, Bakare, Lee, Obafemi, Wellard, Harris.
Unused substitutes: McEntegart, Corne. Vidal.
Referee: Stephen Ross
Assistants: Martin Woods and Michael Crusham
4th Official: Luke Watson
Welling star man: Barney Williams
Attendance: 653