After failing to beat 10 man Tranmere one week earlier, it was deja-vu for Welling as they were unable to see off short-handed Torquay United.
Up against ten men for a full hour, Welling were unable to put in the performance needed to claim all three points.
They could hardly have got off to a better start going ahead after just eight minutes. Michael Chambers found Afolabi Obafemi. The striker, in for the suspended Sahr Kabba, picked out George Porter who pulled an unbelievable save out of Fabian Spiess. However the loose ball fell out to Xavier Vidal and he finished with aplomb.
Spiess then made a good save from Obafemi before disaster struck for the hosts. Harry Osborne limped off with a hamstring strain and while Welling were sorting out a substitution, Torquay won a free kick from which they scored.
Daniel Butler’s delivery from the right wing deceived everyone and bounced inside the far post. Barney Williams came on before the game restarted, but the damage was done.
On the half hour, Spiess rushed out as Obafemi chased a long ball and handled outside the penalty area. Referee Stephen Ross dismissed the Torquay custodian and substitute goalkeeper Daniel Lavercombe came on at the expense of Malachi Lavelle-Moore.
Sam Corne came close with a shot that flew just over the angle of bar and post but Welling didn’t kick on and Alex Fisher should have done better when played in by Louis Briscoe.
Porter came close for Welling shortly before the break with an effort that clipped the cross-bar.
Early in the second period, Welling were given a warning when James Hurst shot across the face of goal.
Kevin Lokko was left unmarked from a Vidal free kick but volleyed over from eight yards then substitute Ricky Wellard had a shot deflected wide.
Obafemi was twice thwarted by excellent defending, first by Angus MacDonald, then by Exodus Geohaghon.
Corne fired over again but it was not one way traffic and Briscoe was foiled by a combination of goalkeeper Michael McEntegart and Wellard.
Lavercombe made a flying save from Porter before the visitors had two good chances to claim all three points.
Nathan Smith burst through but fired wide and Briscoe failed to hit the target at the far post.
Manager Loui Fazakerley admitted afterwards “Everybody’s very disappointed and frustrated again. Once again we created many chances. Poor goal aside, we can’t look past our lack of ability to finish off our chances. We definitely feel we should we should have picked up more points by now.”
He remains positive, however, that things will turn around. “If we were losing every game two or three nil, and not creating chances, we would really have to worry.”
They now have to prepare for two away games, at Aldershot on Tuesday, and high flying Gateshead next Saturday.
Welling United: McEntegart, Osborne (Williams 20), Jefford, Lee (Wellard 55), Chambers, Lokko (Adeyinka 79), Corne, Vidal, Obafemi, Porter, Harris.
Unused substitutes: King, Fagan.
Torquay United: Spiess, Hurst, Butler, Heslop, MacDonald, Geohaghon, Briscoe, Carmichael, Smith, Fisher (Quigley 68), Lavelle-Moore (Lavercombe 30).
Unused substitutes: Fenwick, Jackson, Odofin.
Referee: Stephen Ross
Assistants: Gary Jerden and Thomas Hancock
4th Official: Aji Ajibola
Welling star man: Xavier Vidal
Attendance: 659
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.