Midweek football returns to Welling Town when they host Meridian VP in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division on Wednesday evening.

Both teams will be keen to claim all three points to kick-start their season as neither has enjoyed the spoils of victory yet this season, and they occupy the bottom two places in the table at present.

Kevin Oakes’ Welling team have drawn two and lost five so far this term with their two points coming in their last two home games. Their draw with SC Thamesmead was goal-less and that was followed by a ‘tit for tat’ three-three match with Clapton Community.

On Saturday, they visited expected title challengers Rochester United and went down two-nil. They were level until eleven minutes into the second half and were still in the game until conceding a second, nine minutes before the end.

Their visitors on Wednesday, Meridian, have played six and are yet to claim their first point of the season. However, they are still in the FA Vase having beaten Lewisham Borough in the First Qualifying Round on penalties. The match, itself, ended in a two all draw before they won the shoot-out five-four.

In their match on Saturday at another fancied side, Canterbury City, they came very close to breaking their duck. Rami Hallouffi put Dwinder Tamna’s team ahead in the eighth minute and they held the lead until conceding with quarter of an hour remaining. They still looked good for a point before suffering the disappointment of a stoppage time decider. 

Although the table doesn’t look pretty for either team at present, it’s still very early in the season and there is plenty of time for both clubs to climb the league rankings. 

Image courtesy of Dave Budden