Although Steven Hewitt’s wonder goal for Southport put a slight dampner on the occasion, Welling United retained their place in the top division of non league football.
After the game, Loui Fazakerley admitted “I’m a little bit disappointed. I’m sure the disappointment will wear off pretty soon. It’s not the way I would’ve liked to have done it. I ‘d have preferred to have won. Just happy to have finally got over the line. The club is very close to my heart. It’s a great end of the season for me.”
Going into the game, Welling were on level points with Alfreton Town, but with a far superior goal difference. When news filtered through that the Derbyshire side were losing at Bristol Rovers, the Wings team appeared to drop their intensity, and it looked likely that the game was going to drift into a 0-0 draw.
Fazakerley stated that the management team knew what was happening in Bristol but tried to keep it from the players however several admitted that they were aware when Alfreton went two down.
In the early exchanges, Welling looked as though they were going to tear Southport apart with Dominic Vose causing endless problems.
He came close to opening the scoring when one of his trademark bye-line dribbles ended with a shot from an acute angle that brushed the far post.
Then a free kick of his found Sam Berry but the Sheffield United loanee was unable to find the target.
Ross Lafayette came close with a shot before Tony Thompson flapped out a cross that Vose collected on the edge of the penalty area and fired in a shot that was cleared off the line by Luke Foster.
Jake Gallagher had a header saved before Foster headed Southport’s first chance just wide.
Ben Jefford and Gallagher combined to offer Lafayette another opening but his effort was half blocked by Foster and gathered by Thompson.
Tom Davies headed wide for Southport just before the break.
Early in the second half, Richard Brodie was unable to keep a civil tongue in his mouth and earned Southport’s 85th yellow card of the season.
Jefford put in a superb cross but Kieron St. Aimie could not get enough onto his header to divert it home.
Further chances came and went with both Vose and St. Aimie firing over.
Impressive Southport substitute, Connor McCarthy, who came on in the eighth minute, caused most of the problems that the Welling defence faced and he brought a good save out of Jonathan Henly.
Hewitt smashed home his 30 yarder off the underside of the crossbar with twelve minutes remaining but Welling continued to look for a goal.
Substitute Charlie Penny’s header from Jefford’s cross brought a great save out of Thompson before Vose’s ball in was sliced onto the underside of his own bar by Hewitt.
Once the game was over, Fazakerley confirmed that the appointment of him and his management team had been made the day after their draw at Alfreton, one week earlier, and that he had already started to consider the players he hoped to retain, and targets that he had in mind for the 2015-16 season.
Welling United: Henly, Williams, Jefford, Berry (Healy 82), Chambers, Bush, Gallagher (Fagan 60), Corne, St. Aimie, Lafayette (Penny 71), Vose.
Unused substitutes: McEntegart, Taylor.
Southport: Thompson, Challinor, Davies, Foster, Beesley (McCarthy 7), Connor, Joyce, Rutherford (Marsden 86), Hewitt, Almond, Brodie (Donnelly 85).
Unused substitutes: Usai, Evans.
Referee: Adam Bromley
Assistants: Christopher Francis & Paul Yates
4th Official: Graeme Ions
Welling star man: Ben Jefford
Attendance: 1015
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.