Honours were shared when Welling United and Dover Athletic met at Park View Road.

Although it was two points dropped at home, Welling manager Warren Feeney was not too disheartened. Feeney said “After Saturday, teams are going to come here and see us as a scalp. He is a great manager, Andy (Hessenthaler) as he was as a player when I played against him and I said to my boys we can’t play in second gear, but I thought tonight, at times, we were.

“We didn’t do enough to win the game. I know we had a lot of chances, but we huffed and puffed. The disappointing thing was, as I said to them in there, you take the one-nil. The concentration levels of us to give away the goal we did was poor. We’ve got to take it on the chin.

“The run we’ve been on is fantastic. Eight games in a month and we’ll keep going. The goal was disappointing but I’m not going to have a go at them as the boys have been fantastic.”

Taofiq Olomowewe headed Welling’s first chance over from Taylor Maloney’s corner before a good Dover team move ended with Alfie Paxman firing high.

Ade Azeez headed wide from an Amadou Kassarate cross before Olomowewe was again off target with a header from a Maloney free kick.

Lee Martin had the last chance of the half for Dover but fired his free kick well over.

Kassarate continued to cause problems after the interval and another good cross found Stefan Payne but couldn’t keep his header down before James Dunne’s chip was tipped over by Stuart Nelson.

From the subsequent corner, Welling went ahead. Maloney delivered and Manny Parry met it with a low volley that flew in against one of his former clubs.

As the game entered the last ten minutes, Dover levelled. Chike Kandi was sent clear, and he held off his man before firing beyond Myles Roberts and into the bottom corner.

Neither side wanted to settle for a point and Nelson made a good save from Payne before Azeez was unable to finish from yet another Kassarate cross.

Then it was Dover who then came close. Luke Wanadio cut in and let fly but Roberts made a brilliant save resulting in the Whites’ only corner of the night. Paxman delivered it and picked out Alfie Pavey, but Roberts again made an outstanding save to keep out his downward header.

At the other end, Chi Ezennolim broke down the left wing, cut in and took aim only to see his shot rattle the bar, then Antony Papadopoulos arrived late but headed over.

Pavey thought that he had won it in injury time with a fierce shot, but again, Roberts was equal to it with another stunning save before Maloney’s free kick flew over. Kassarate had the final goal attempt, but Nelson made a comfortable save.

Hessenthaler said “I thought it was a fantastic game. I thought we were excellent tonight. First half wasn’t much in the game. I thought we had good spells with the ball but never really hurt them. They didn’t really with us.

“In the second half, I expected them to come after us, and they did, then it was end to end and their keeper gets man of the match at the end. I can’t fault my players. I thought they were outstanding tonight.

“We have got a good dressing room. They know that and Welling know that and tonight we showed it. I believe in this team, they believe in each other, and we went out tonight and showed that we are capable of doing well in this league.”

Welling United: Roberts, Howard (Papadopoulos 67), Ezennolim, Olomowewe (Aransibia 89), Sendles-White, Parry, Maloney, Dunne, Azeez, Payne, Kassarate.

Subs not used: McKenzie-Lyle, Hyde, Aransibia, Francis.

Goalscorers: Parry (76)

Yellow cards: Parry, Payne

Dover Athletic: Nelson, Judd, Paxman, Brundle, Sterling, Higgs, Grant (Kandi 25), Krasniqi, Pavey, Wanadio, Martin.

Subs not used: Moses, Carney, Baptiste, Byford

Goalscorers: Kandi (81)

Yellow cards: Judd, Martin. Higgs

Referee: Jack Packman

Assistants: Billy Woods and Daniel Blades

Attendance: 720

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.