Following the departure of Jamie Day on Wednesday, Tristan Lewis and Harry Wheeler have been appointed as a caretaker management team.
They start with a tricky visit to Hemel Hempstead Town even though they have a squad that should be brimming with confidence.
Seven consecutive victories, including their Kent Senior Cup success against Dartford have lifted them out of the relegation zone and still battling in three knock out competitions.
Their five one victory over Margate was a fine performance with two goals coming from the unlikely source of the boots of Sean Francis.
However, the pick of the goals was Welling’s fifth and final one, possibly their best ever team goal. All ten outfield players were involved in a slick fifteen pass move, many one touch. It tore the Margate defence wide open before Adam Coombes provided the finishing touch for his 29th goal in 23 league and cup matches this season.
Hosts Hemel Hempstead are on a four league game unbeaten run too, having claimed four points out of six against high flying Hampton and Richmond Borough over the festive season.
Jake Robinson scored all four goals that they scored in those two games (1-0 home, 3-3 away) to add to the four in the previous two. Jordan Parkes, formerly of Ebbsfleet, was also on target three times over the two games when they beat Weston-super-Mare 5-3 and Bishop’s Stortford 4-0.
When the two teams met earlier in the season, Welling appeared to be cruising to victory before crumbling to a disappointing defeat. Dean Morgan and Adam Coombes two up before the break.
Even after the interval it looked like just a matter of time when Welling would score again but with 25 minutes remaining the Tudors pulled one back through Jack Kelly then Robinson equalised within two minutes.
Searching for a late winner, Welling were caught on the break and James Potton lobbed over for what had seemed an unlikely Hemel victory.
Rickie Hayles was substituted late in Welling’s New Year Day’s match with a thigh strain but Day suggested it was just a precaution so Lewis and Wheeler will hope to have him available at Hemel.
However, Chris Lewington will not be available against The Tudors and Harry Girling will continue to deputise. It appears that Lewington’s injury is not as bad as was feared so he should be available again sooner than expected.
Images courtesy of Dave Budden