Loui Fazakerley’s first game in charge of the Welling United team failed to halt their poor run of form as they crashed to another home defeat.
There was a carnival atmosphere at Park View Road as BT Sports presented a live television show, just their second ‘live’ home game in their history.
Unfortunately, the mood appeared to lift the visitors equally but the game was in the balance until Welling were reduced to ten men in the 54th minute.
Captain Joe Healy then made a rash challenge and despite the pondering of the referee, a red card looked inevitable. However, despite having to call in both assistants for advice, there was no punishment for the Altrincham players’ excessive demonstrations.
After that, Welling were up against it and the visitors grabbed the only goal with fifteen minutes remaining when substitute Ryan Crowther advanced unchallenged before shooting inside Jonathan Henly’s near post..
Not surprisingly, Fazakerley was disappointed. “It’s a hard one to take, we were really up for it.”
On the crucial moment he commented “My initial thoughts were that it was a straight red. That absolutely killed us.”
For the goal he said “The team dropped off to deep. We didn’t put any pressure on the shot.”
Early on, Welling looked to be enjoying the spring sunshine and Jason Williams drew a good save from Stuart Coburn after being played in by Dominic Vose.
At the other end, Jordan Sinnott had a shot saved by Henly but Welling were soon on the attack again and it took a foul by Shaun Densmore to stop Vose from breaking through. Vose took the free kick himself but his effort flew just over.
Healy fired over and Young headed wide but Altrincham also had chances and James Lawrie shot just wide of the far post.
Young came close again when he hit a volley too cleanly and it struck Coburn on the chest when a yard either side may have broken the deadlock.
Another Vose effort was saved just before the break.
Healy’s dismissal changed the whole feel of the game and although the outstanding Reece Harris rifled in a shot that rippled the net on the wrong side of the near post, the visitors goal with fifteen minutes remaining came as no big surprise.
Sadly, Welling looked flat after that and did not look like lifting themselves, and did not register another goal attempt until injury time when susbstitute Aristide Bassele had a header saved from a Vose free kick.
On Tuesday, Welling travel to Gateshead looking to halt their losing run.
Welling United: Henly, Williams, Fyfield, Corne (Fagan 84), Berry, Chambers, Young (Bassele 69), Vose, Gallagher, J. Williams (St Aimie 61), Harris, Healy.
Unused substitutes: McEntegart, Bush.
Referee: Nicholas Kinseley
Assistants: Lloyd Wood and Jason Richardson
Fourth Official: Constantine Hatzidakis
Attendance: 1,009
Welling star player: Reece Harris
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.