After a month of pre-season friendlies, Welling United face the long trip to Plymouth where they face Truro City to start their Vanarama National League South campaign.

Last season, the Wings finished well after a rocky middle spell, and it seemed likely that they would be looking to build on that under manager Warren Feeney. However, when Feeney was offered a dream post at Glentoran, in his native Northern Ireland, he could not turn it down and left the club. The Welling board wasted little time in finding a replacement and Danny Bloor was appointed bringing in his own management team.

Bloor had immediate problems with a lack of bodies ahead of the first pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic with only four players remaining from last season. He has recruited well and has a squad ready to go to the West Country. They had a final warm up match on Tuesday evening against a young Luton Town outfit in which twenty-three players had a run out.

As was the case last season, they start with a game at a newly promoted club who will have momentum behind them so it won’t be an easy match, however, it’s one that excites Bloor.

Last season, the Cornish team finished third in the Southern League Premier South, four points behind champions Weston-super-Mare, which put them into the play-offs. They beat Poole Town at home on penalties before travelling to Bracknell where they won three-two.

When Welling last played Truro away, in August 2018, it was at Torquay United’s Plainmoor ground and they looked to be on their way to victory until conceding deep in injury time. Thierry Audel opened the scoring for the Wings but Niall Thompson levelled from a tight angle midway through the second half.

Bradley Goldberg was introduced and put Welling back in front when diverting Brendon Kiernan’s cross inside the far post however, Truro had the final word when Jarod Lewington headed home from a corner five minutes into stoppage time.

Image courtesy of Dave Budden