Welling United make the trip to in-form Luton Town on Saturday looking for a repeat of their FA Cup encounter.

Last Saturday the Wings were stunned by Nuneaton Town’s injury time goal that resulted in only their second home league defeat in nearly a season and a half.

Luton are currently third in the table, seven points off the top, having tasted defeat just twice all season. This is the Hatters’ fifth season in non league football and they make no secret of their desire to get back into the football league.

Although down to twelfth in the Skrill Premier, Welling are only two points outside the play off zone and six points behind Luton and will be looking to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible.

The two clubs met two weeks earlier in the F.A. Cup at Park View Road and first half goals from Lee Clarke and Joe Healy put Welling in a strong position. After Paul Benson pulled a goal back, Luton put the Wings under some pressure but goalkeeper Lee Butcher and his defence held firm to set them up for a visit to Plymouth Argyle next weekend.

This will not be Welling’s first visit to Kenilworth Road as the two teams were drawn to play each other in the F.A. Trophy in December 2010. That day the Wings held their hosts to a 0-0 draw before Luton won 2-1 at Park View Road in the replay. Luis Cumbers put Welling ahead but Jason Walker and Alex Lawless scored the goals that ended their dreams.

Loick Pires will be absent after sustaining a bad injury last Saturday and Doug Bergqvist looks likely to be sidelined for another two or three weeks but manager Jamie Day will be hoping that Harry Beautyman and Jack Obersteller will be able to return.

Having not played a home game for six weeks, Luton are hoping for a crowd in excess of 7,000 so the Welling supporters should get plenty of encouragement to make noise and get behind their team.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.