On Saturday Welling United are in Vanarama National League South action when they visit St. Albans City.

Rod Stringer’s Wings will be hoping that they have more luck with officiating decisions than they have had in the last three games. At home to Weston-super-Mare, at a crucial point, they had a penalty awarded against them for handball when Dave Winfield was well outside the penalty area.

Then, at Worthing, Martell Taylor-Crossdale was taken out by a kick in the penalty area that was almost waist high. 

On Saturday, they hosted Weston-super-Mare and were on the wrong side of three penalty awards. Weston were awarded one early on when Rhys Lovett appeared to punch the ball before George Alexander but a penalty was awarded. In the second half Alex Lankshear was pulled back in the penalty area but nothing was given. 

Then, in stoppage time, Winfield was hauled down in the eighteen yard box but all claims were waved away. After the game, Stringer said that he and his Eastbourne counterpart, Adam Murray, had reviewed the three decisions on video, and that the Sports’ manager admitted that all three were incorrect. 

Meanwhile, St Albans were ending their bad start with their first league win of the season when they won one-nil at Hampton and Richmond Borough thanks to a goal by Ken Charles with fifteen minutes remaining.

In their five league home games this season, they have picked up just two points from draws with Worthing and Weston-super-Mare. Like Welling, they have struggled for goals having recorded just nine in eleven National League South games so far.  

In the corresponding match between Worthing and Welling last season, the teams played out a one-all draw. In the twenty-sixth minute, Welling went ahead. Green whipped in a free kick that former Wing Ryan Blackman could only head into his own net. However, within a minute parity was restored when Welling nemesis Shaun Jeffers out-muscled his man and forced his way through  before firing home via the far post.

Although Stringer is still missing players through injury, one by one they are returning. This week, it was announced that David Carty has been released so that may give Stringer some wriggle room to bring in someone new to freshen up the Wings’ strike force.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.