Welling ended Southport’s 100% home record whilst breaking their run of two successive defeats with a well deserved point on Saturday.

In truth Jamie Day and his team will probably look back and wonder how they didn’t claim all three points.

After Lee Butcher had made a comfortable catch from a David Fitzpatrick header, Welling took command.

Ross Lafayette  got ahead of Southport goalkeeper Danny Hurst but was unable to guide Jake Gallagher’s deep cross inside the post, then a surging run by the latter was ended by a crucial tackle by Luke George.

Lafayette then had a shot beaten out by Hurst but Alex Dyer fired over from the rebound.

Jamie Milligan shot over for Southport but a wonderful flowing Welling attack involving Dyer, Lee Clarke, and Loui Fazakerley ended when Hurst saved with his legs from Kurtis Guthrie.

Matty Flynn was booked for a foul but Joe Healy’s free kick failed to beat the wall and Welling had to settle for a corner which came to nothing.

Guthrie fired wide on the break as Welling ended the half on top before going ahead two minutes into the second period.

Hurst made a brilliant point blank save from Doug Bergqvist before recovering to make a second from Clarke. He was powerless, however, as Clarke followed up to bundle home the rebound.

Joy turned to despair two minutes later when Chris Almond rose to head home off the near post and after Lafayette and Clarke both went close, Southport went ahead in the 61^st minute.

Almond’s cross caused chaos and when Welling failed to clear, Danny Hattersley finished easily.

Guthrie headed wide from a Lafayette cross before Jamie Day showed attacking intent by bringing on striker Loick Pires for Clarke.

After 76 minutes, Welling levelled. Fazakerley did wonderfully well to keep Fraser Franks’ long ball in play and Lafayette made the most of the full back’s great cross by chesting down and sweeping home.

Neither side seemed prepared to settle for a draw as the game went end to end.

Fazakerley shot over for Welling and Brice Irie-Bi did likewise for Southport before referee Adrian Holmes brought an end to proceedings.

 

Southport: Hurst, Challinor, Flynn, George, Fitzpatrick, Brown, Milligan, Chalmers (Irie-Bi 78), Almond, Osawe (Rutherford 78), Hattersley (Tames 69).

Unused substitutes: Akrigg, Ledsham.

Welling United: Butcher, Fazakerley, Jack Obersteller, Gallagher, Franks. Berqvist, Dyer, Clarke (Pires 70),  Guthrie (Hughes-Mason 84), Lafayette, Healy.

Unused substitutes:Turner, Joe Obersteller, Webb.

Referee: Adrian Holmes

Attendance: 825

Welling star man: Jake Gallagher

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.