On Saturday afternoon Welling United visit Slough Town as the Vanarama National League South season draws to a close.

Only teams that finish in the play-off zone will continue playing beyond Saturday so the players from Slough and Welling can give everything one last time before putting their feet up for a few weeks.

Last weekend, Welling claimed the point that they needed to guarantee safety from relegation with a goal-less draw at home to Weymouth. That extended their unbeaten run to five games in which they conceded just once. They have lost just twice in eighteen league matches and in the nine home league games played under Rod Stringer they were unbeaten.

Both teams have won two, drawn three, and lost one of their last six matches. Slough are unbeaten in four games and they won last Saturday three-two at Hemel Hempstead. Twice they were ahead, and twice they were dragged back before John Goddard scored the winner, completing his brace, with five minutes remaining.

If Welling’s nine game unbeaten home run is good, Slough’s is outstanding. They lost their first four of the season on their own pitch but have since gone on a twenty one league and cup match run without a loss, plus one abandoned from which they were awarded the three points.

When the two teams met at Welling, the Wings ended a ten game win-less streak in an extraordinary fashion. Tristan Abrahams put them ahead from the spot in the eleventh minute and Kain Adom put them two up midway through the first half. 

Tyrese Dyce pulled one back seven minutes before half time and Temi Eweka equalised ten minutes into the second period. Cameron Green put Welling back ahead five minutes later but the Rebels levelled again through Goddard almost immediately. It looked as though the match was going to end level until Taylor Curran scored the winner in stoppage time.  

Over the last five years, Welling have lost three, drawn one and won once at Arbour Park. The victory was last season when the Wings won three-nil through a first half George Alexander hat-trick.

Although it won’t make a huge difference to their league position, Stringer will want to finish on a high with a victory.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.