After the upheaval suffered by Welling United and Ebbsfleet United last term, both will be hoping for consistency and stability this time around.

Despite being a ‘friendly’, the game was competitive and both sets of management teams were satisfied with aspects of the game.

Paul Barnes, Welling’s first team coach, felt the early concession of a bad goal had a detrimental effect on their confidence. “The error lead to a bit of self doubt and had a knock on effect. We got some good information into the players at half time which they took on board and we started the second half really brightly which was very encouraging.

“Tempo and intensity are words that we throw about all the time. The lads have really come out with intensity in the second half. Really played the way we want to play all the time.”

After their good start, Welling gifted Ebbsfleet the lead when trialist goalkeeper Ben McNamara crashed into team-mate Harry Osborne and dropped the ball at the feet of Jordan Parkes. The former Hemel Hempstead player made no mistake.

Parkes had two further efforts saved as Welling struggled to get a foothold.

Matt Fish swung in a cross that just evaded Alex Osborn.

Osborn attempted a curler that was saved easily before he should have done better when heading wide from Robbie Wilmott’s centre.

Fish brought out a good save from McNamara and from the resulting corner, Parkes smashed a twenty-five yarder against the crossbar.

Danny Kedwell missed a good chance before Welling came back into the game.

Ricky Wellard lobbed the out-rushing Brandon Hall but also cleared the crossbar before producing an excellent save from the Ebbsfleet custodian with a clean header.

Michael Chambers came close before Ebbsfleet caught Welling with a sucker-punch on the stroke of half time. McNamara did well to block out a close range effort from Stuart Lewis but the ball found its way to Kenny Clark who finished from a foot out.

Nine minutes into the second half, Wellard scored Welling’s first goal of the campaign when finishing from Xavier Vidal’s cross.

Enjoying their best spell of the game, it came as no surprise when Welling pulled level just after the hour mark. George Porter and Afolabi Obafemi, half time substitutes, combined with the latter notching from Porter’s low ball in.

A series of breaks for further substitutions broke up play and made the game scrappier and it appeared to work more in the favour of the visitors. Dean Rance missed a great chance having been set up by Parkes, then Wilmott worked himself into a great position before blasting over.

Parkes settled the game with just under fifteen minutes remaining when given time and space to measure his header beyond Grant Smith.

Daryl McMahon was happy with the overall character of the side and the good work out.

“I thought we played really well in the first half and could have gone in with more goals. We have to have more ways of playing. In the first half we played really well and played out. In the second Welling pressed us and we found it harder to play out. We have to have a plan B, maybe hit it long to the boys in space.

“I’m delighted Welling got two goals because it’s a learning curve pre-season. We have got a really, really competitive group, they don’t like losing.”

 

Welling United: McNamara (Smith 46), Williams (Fazakerley 61), Jefford, Osborne (Fitchett 73), Chambers (Lokko 59), Fagan, Vidal (Corne 59), Wellard, Kabba (Porter 46). Adeyinka (Obafemi 46), Harris (Awotwi).

Substitutes: Johnson, Plummer.

 

Ebbsfleet United: Hall, Fish, Howe (Braham-Barrett 46), Kissock, Bonner, Clark, Wilmott (Tracey 78), Lewis (Cunningham 56), Kedwell (Johnson 69), Parkes, Osborn (Rance 56).

Substitutes: Miles, Acheampong, Johnson, Miller-Neave.

 

Referee: Ian Crouch

Assistants: Darren Blunden and Ross Brown

Pictures supplied by David Brown