Despite their ideal start, Welling United fell to their fifth consecutive defeat when visiting Dorking Wanderers. Although not a shock result, Peter Taylor was in no doubt that the hosts were deserving victors.

After the game he said: “Dorking are a very good team who probably expected to beat us. We started off, of course, well with an early goal, which you hope then you’re going to have a good afternoon but unfortunately we conceded with a worldie goal from them.

“That was a touch unfortunate for us because normally, they end up a long way away, not in the net. After that it was a close affair but they’ve got good players and we had to do a bit of defending but we didn’t do enough on the ball to create enough at the other end. It was a good start. I’m pleased for Tom (Derry) to get his first goal for us but it’s a long time. You’ve got to do more than that rather than just get a goal.”    

He felt that in the first half, Welling did reasonably well, saying “They’re a decent team. They’ve bought an attacking team and they’re going to test you. Overall, I was okay with it. I think that there were certain performances that we’ve been very disappointed with this season but this one was okay. It’s just that in the second half we’ve let in a couple of goals that’s cost us.”

When two-one down he made a triple substitution explaining “I didn’t think that we were playing enough football and when you don’t play enough football it means that you’re going to be defending too much and that’s what I thought that we were doing. I wanted to bring a different type on to try and create some chances ourselves.”

Bradley Pearce was left out with Olumide Durojaiye slotting into central defence and Yannis Drais making his full league debut. “I left him out because I needed some more voices.” explained Taylor.

“Bradley’s a great lad, terrific lad, and to be fair to him on the ball in the last couple of games, he’s done well but I just needed Olu’s voice and that’s why I made the change.”     

There have been constant changes to the squad this season (and before). Taylor doesn’t believe that it has helped the situation. He said “We’re now down to a nineteen (man) squad which is absolutely fine. That’s a good number. Some of the players are ninety minutes fit and some aren’t and the more we get all the players ninety minutes fit that helps us. I don’t want to keep chopping and changing. What we’ve got in the building is good enough if they play well so I‘m not looking to change any more.”

As Welling have no game until the busy Christmas period, they will have an additional training session next Saturday. “We’ll be training Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We’re not in a very good position at the moment and we’re not in a very good run so the last thing that we need is time off. 

“It’s five training sessions now (until the next game) which I am quite happy with but I would have liked to have had the break with a point or three but it wasn’t to be. If we’d started our season a bit better and we’d have been in a little bit more of a confident mood, then we are tougher opponents.”

Festive season games come thick and fast and the Wings boss is looking forward to them. “The boys have been used to it before, playing at Christmas time. It’s always a good atmosphere. It’s going to be a very very big test when we play Dulwich because they’ve got a good squad as well so it’s something that you have got to be up for. 

“If you’re playing at this level you’ve got to be up for it and that’s what we’ve got to do.” 

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.