In a game that was short on real quality, Welling United fell to an injury time sucker punch on a miserable wet Monday night away to Wealdtone.
Although it could be argued that a nil nil draw would have been a fitting end, Wealdstone claimed all three points with a goal in the 92nd minute scored by former Wing Ricky Wellard.
Jamie Coyle’s team were down to the bare bones due to injury to Ben Jefford and suspension to Connor Dymond but while flowing football might have been in short supply it wasn’t due to a lack of effort.
They scrapped hard until the end and nobody could question their work-rate but they struggled to create many clear cut chances and lost to a goal from a former player just as it looked as though they were going to claim a hard earned point.
Ryan Hall was the first to hit the target with a low shot that Jonathan North held well.
Matthew Whichelow and Bradley Bubb had pace up front and Bailey Vose had to be out quickly to clear as the former chased a long ball. Bubb then fired over from wide.
Whichelow then cut in from the left wing but his attempt to clip in from wide went wide of the far post.
Jack Parkinson thought that he had scored his third in three games only to see his effort cleared spectacularly off the line then Whichelow did have the ball in the Welling net but had strayed into an offside position.
There was another alarm in the Wealdstone penalty area and it fell to Ryan Hall but he hesitated before shooting and the chance was gone.
Vose had to be alert in first half injury time when Danny Green’s corner almost sneaked in at the near post but he managed to keep it out at the expense of another corner.
After the break, a fierce drive by Olumide Durojaiye was too straight and North was able to keep it out before Vose made a couple of comfortable saves from Wellard and Mustafa Tiryaki.
Joe Healy and Jack Jebb created chances for Bradley Goldberg but he fired wide on both occasions.
Green fired a free kick over and substitute David Pratt was also unable to keep a first time effort down.
When Dylan Kearney slammed a free kick into the wall it looked like Welling had done enough but an injury time corner proved to be their undoing. Green slung it in and Wellard rose to head home giving Vose no chance.
Callum Driver led an immediate attempt to restore parity with a powerful drive but it took a deflection and flew the wrong side of the post.
Welling boss Jamie Coyle will hope that the thirteen players involved will have come through the game unscathed as they have another difficult game at East Thurrock United on Saturday.
Wealdstone: North, Johnson-Schuster, Okimo, Gayle, Wilson, Cox, Whichelow, Wellard (Allen 60), Tiryaki (Pratt 60), Green, Bubb (Kearney 75).
Subs not used: Day, Fitchett.
Welling United: Vose, Driver, Johnson, Durojaiye, Acheampong, Parkinson, Jebb, Healy, Goldberg, Philpot (Monakana 86), Hall (Nanetti 60).
Subs not used: Coyle, Sinclair, Gossemna.
Wealdstone:
Goalscorers: Wellard (90)
Yellow cards: Green
Red cards: None
Welling United:
Goalscorers: None
Yellow cards: Healy, Driver, Jebb, Parkinson
Red cards: None
Referee: Paul Howard
Assistants: Tom Fell and Christopher Bodell
Attendance: 783
Welling star player: Joe Healy
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.