Vanarama National League South safety from relegation was guaranteed for Welling United with a point at home to Weymouth. After the match, Rod Stringer shared his thoughts.

“Today, they’re a good side.” he said. “They’re a very well organised side. I watched them against Maidstone and you could see there’s a good side there. I’m not saying at home, I’m happy with taking a point, but points are so, so important.”

“We just didn’t want to get sucked in with any chance that it could turn ugly on us so we had to keep trying to get points even if it’s one point away to Havant and another point today and that’s what this part of the season is all about.”

“It’s not about performances, it’s about getting points on the board and making sure your safe and that’s what we’ve achieved.”

As the season comes to a close, the number of games played has started to catch up with the club. Stringer said: “Today, we had some walking wounded. We lost Riccardo (Di Trolio) early and we lost Paps (Antony Papadopoulos) with a nasty elbow so we’ve had to dig deep with a small squad and we’ve starved with goals, I think we’ve struggled a little bit with that. We haven’t had that fluency to get in behind teams and cause them real problems.” 

Lack of goals meant that the defence has had to step up, and in conceding just one goal in five games, they’ve done that. Stringer said: “I’ve always got a motto, if you ain’t going to win it, don’t lose it. We got nice and tight and those young boys have been outstanding. Lochie (Lachlan Byrd), Jack (Burchell) and Riccardo (Di Trolio) have probably got sixty years between them.”

Stringer went on to talk about the implications of relegation. “Going down a league below, the club doesn’t become as fashionable and players don’t want to play at that level so next year becomes really difficult to get back out of that as it’s such a relentless league as well. I’m so pleased that we’ve managed to find enough to keep us up. I’d have taken it on goal difference, I really would.”

Everything seems to be coming together at the club and Stringer is delighted. He said: “I think that the club can feel that we’re united again. We’re called Welling United and I think we’re going to use the word united because that’s what we are now. Me and Kev (Watson) are staying next year.

“We’ve discussed players who want to stay and there’s not a loan here who hasn’t played their part. We’ve been phenomenal. It’s been, probably, one of my biggest achievements and I’ve been in play-offs and I’ve won this league but this year is as good as that.”

There is no rest for Stringer now that the season is almost completed. “This is a manager’s toughest time of the season. We’re more structured now with the budget. We’re not going to go out there and spend silly money. Those days are gone, but Howard (Prosser)’s been very good and offered us a sensible budget to work with that’s competitive. We’ve got to get the right players in and see which existing players want to stay.

“We know it’s going to be a tough league. Dorking have already set their stall out saying they’re bouncing back up so we know Marc (White)’s going to put his money where his mouth is and we know they’re going to be a good side.

“We just want to be competitive, do the right recruiting, and get the boys playing in a certain way. We don’t want to be in this position again. This is a horrible position to be in and I’m just so pleased now that we can’t go down.”

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.