Smash and grab Maidenhead United claimed the spoils against Welling United with a come from behind victory.

Despite dominating for long periods of the game, Welling failed to turn their superiority into goals and paid the price.

They had a set back before the match even started when Dean Leacock picked up an injury in the warm up and was unable to start.

It was clear that Maidenhead were concerned about Welling’s leading scorer Adam Coombes as they committed two cynical fouls to keep him at bay.

Danny Waldren brought the first of several saves out of Carl Pentney before Coombes struck the post after Welling’s passing football created the opportunity.

Dan Walker headed over from debut making Matt Fish’s cross then Ali Fuseini had a shot blocked bravely by Alan Massey.

Coombes fired over before half time after Sam Hatton headed back Dean Morgan’s cross.

Waldren shot wide then Pentney saved from Fish as Welling started the second period as they finished the first.

Finally, Maidenhead came into the game and Sean Marks headed over at the near post before Dave Tarpey was foiled by the legs of Chris Lewington.

At this point it was clear that Rickie Hayles was struggling and he had to be replaced resulting in Welling being short of both intended starting centre backs.

Morgan headed wide from another Fish cross before opening the scoring from Coombes’ pass.

Rattled Maidenhead struggled to keep Welling at bay and Waldren had a deflected shot brilliantly saved by Pentney.

Then Coombes hit the woodwork for the second time with a low free kick before Sean Francis headed wide at the far post.

Completely against the run of play, Maidenhead equalised when Marks rose unopposed to head home Jordan Cox’s cross.

Pentney made another fine save, this time from Ali Fuseini then Coombes fired over.

Tarpey gave Welling a warning when cutting across the face of goal and shooting, but Chris Lewington made himself big and saved.

However, the Wings goalkeeper was powerless with five minutes to go when Jordon Brown’s sliced clearance fell for Tarpey and he finished with ease.

Unsurprisingly, Welling manager Mark Goldberg was left to lick his wounds. “It’s incredible how well we played today and how we dominated the majority of the game. We deserved the goal that we got, it was well worked. We had two or three similar moves where we hit the post or we weren’t quite clinical enough but it was quite a dominant performance and we thought that we deserved to  have had all three points today. It was a killer blow to have conceded two so late on.

“We were very unfortunate today. We had a centre half injured in the warm up and another centre half injured during the game so it disrupted things at the wrong time and we got punished.

“We were first to second balls today. We were dominant in the middle of the park. We passed it as if we were playing a side that we’d played in the last two weeks. We weren’t fearing the fact that they were the top of the league. We know that we can compete against any team at this level of football.

“The most disappointing thing was that the injuries killed us. It was too easy to let the cross in for their first goal. We were caught a little bit off guard which is naïve of us as well. Then, the second goal, Jordon has to clear his lines instead I don’t know what exactly he did. Whatever he did cost us.

“We’ve got to be a little bit more ruthless and not just play great football and look entertaining, but we’ve got to secure points as well.”

 

Welling United: Lewington, Fish, Brown (Della-Verde 87), Fuseini, Hayles (Nelson 56), Francis, Hatton, Waldren, Walker, Coombes, Morgan.

Subs not used: Agu, Johnson, Slabber.

Maidenhead United: Pentney, Peters, Steer, Upward, Massey, Inman, Tarpey, Comley, Marks (Barratt 87), Mulley, Pritchard (Cox 65).

Subs not used: Wassmer, Hammond, Smith.

 

Referee: Ian Fissenden

Assistants: Jack Packman and Isaac Searle

Attendance: 600

Man of the match: Dean Morgan

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.