Welling United completed back-to-back away victories with a solid four-one victory at Hungerford Town.

Despite going behind very early on, Player-Coach Jack Parkinson was always confident that his team would complete a comeback when playing down-hill in the second half.

“The slope obviously helped.” he said.

“In the first half, and we’ve been saying the message is, we try and stay in games as long as we possibly can because we’ve got ammunition in the side. Early in the season we were a little bit open early on in games, and the amount of times we came in at half time and we were chasing the game. The difference is we stay in the game and it makes things so much easier in the second half. We’ve scored four and could have had eight.”

Adaptability has been key as Parkinson explained. “The pleasing thing at the minute is that we can come to Hungerford and play on a difficult pitch and we went to Poole and played on a difficult pitch. We can go to Bognor and play on a carpet and it’s not making a difference.

“We’ve got players who can mix it up and that’s the most pleasing thing. Earlier in the season we had players who struggled in the transition playing against different sides but now we can go and play whatever the pitch is and we seem to be ok.”

The consecutive victories have put Welling into sixth place and making a strong challenge for a play-off place. Parkinson said “Winning breeds winning. Goals breed confidence for the front lads and at the minute it’s ok.

“I’m sure we’ll have a little blip between now and the end of the season and I’m sure most teams in the top seven will but at the same time good teams bounce back and that’s what we did after Oxford.”

Due to their indifferent recent form, Hungerford changed their style from how they had been playing recently but Parkinson wasn’t too concerned. He said “We try and plan as best we can but teams are going to change it. They’re not on the greatest of runs but they’re at home and it’s a difficult place to come and play. At this stage of the season we need to worry about us.

“We’re confident that we can do that. Look at our bench today. We’ve got Ryan Hall on the bench. We’ve got Connor (Dymond) on the bench. We’ve got (Christian) Nanetti on the bench. Me and (Ben) Jefford are still both out so if you look at our squad now, it’s a strong squad. If we can keep people fit, and keep people available, we’re heading in the right direction.”

Parkinson went on to say that he was delighted that the team is progressing. “After the Christmas period, if someone said to you that with seven games to go you’ll be sitting in the play-offs and challenged, we’d have bitten their arm off but that’s where we are. At the minute, no-one’s getting carried away. The boys are enjoying it but it means nothing until we get over the line at the end of the season.

“It’s an old cliché.” He continued “The runs and the points tally mean everything, but at the same time it’s just focussing on the next one. If you start to look too far ahead you can get carried away a little bit.

“I played in the Maidenhead side that won the league last year and it’s so important. There is always someone on your tail. It’s an old saying but you have to take each game as it comes. We look forward to the Bath game now and worry about the Hampton game once that’s done with.”

That game kicks off at Welling United’s Park View Road on Good Friday at 15:00 having been brought forward by 24 hours from the original published date.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.