If there was anything that the Welling United management team learned from their defeat at home to Wealdstone was that they need to find a replacement for Adam Coombes.

Having lost their leading goalscorer during the week to Sutton United, Welling tried to juggle their team around to cover but it did not work and they failed to score at home in a league game for the first time since August Bank Holiday Monday.

They had chances but did not have the killer touch and Wealdstone scored from their only real opening of the match.

Early on, Wealdstone looked lively and Edward Oshodi was off target with a spin and shot.

Elliott Godfrey chanced his arm from long range but it dipped over the bar. Then after Matt Fish did well to block Joe White’s shot, Aryan Tajbakhsh followed up but fired over.

Sam Hatton drew a diving save from Jonathan North with a free kick destined for the top corner as Welling looked dangerous from long range.

Vas Karagiannis and Danny Waldren both had shots from outside the area blocked before North made another great save from a Waldren 25 yard pile-driver.

Karagiannis smashed one into Danson Park before having another one deflected wide.

Rickie Hayles headed against the Wealdstone bar in first half injury time.

After the break Tajbakhsh again fired over before yet another Welling long shot, this time from Fish, dipped just too late.

62 minutes had passed when Wealdstone broke the deadlock. A corner wasn’t cleared properly and Tom Hamblin put a delicate cross back to the far post and Ricky Wellard headed home against his former club.

Rhys Murrell-Williamson, a real handful down the left wing, pulled a low cross back but Harry Crawford was unable to get on the end of it.

Undaunted by the frustration the young wide player again got to the bye-line and pulled back for Karagiannis but he sliced wide.

Jamie Slabber, on as a substitute for Hatton, headed wide before his second header was saved by North.

Two Karagiannis shots were blocked before another one flew over.

Waldren had a free kick saved before Welling goalkeeper Chris Lewington came up for an injury time corner but could not direct his header on target.

Despite having more shots on target, over twice as many off target and nine corners to Wealdstone’s two, Welling ended a week with two points out of nine.

 

Welling United: Lewington, Fish, Brown, Hatton (Slabber 69), Hayles, Francis, Karagiannis Waldren, Walker, Crawford, Murrell-Williamson.

Subs not used: Agu, Leacock, Richards, Fuseini.

 

Wealdstone  North, Oshodi, Brown, Sellars, Hamblin, Godfrey, Green, Cox, White (McGleish 86), Wellard (Wright 82), Tajbakhsh (Mavila 84)

Subs not used: Walker, Parker.

 

Welling United:

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Fish, Hatton

 

Wealdstone:

Goalscorers: Wellard (62)

Yellow cards: Oshodi

 

Referee: Lloyd Wood

Assistants: Darren Knox and Thomas Danaher

 

Attendance: 506

 

Welling star player: Rhys Murrell-Williamson