On Saturday, Welling United host Chelmsford City in another important Vanarama National League South fixture.

Welling played for the first time under new manager Warren Feeney at Hampton and Richmond Borough on Tuesday night but returned home empty handed. It must have been a difficult game for him as he only met the players shortly before the game and had not had a chance to have a training session.

However, he has started making changes to the squad and some new names could be on display against Chelmsford as well as Taylor Curran, Ben Wells and Jamie White who made their debuts on Tuesday, and Henry Burnett who is yet to feature. Fresh players coming in inevitably means others leaving and the departures of club captain Olumide Durojaiye and Kristian Campbell were announced this week.

Saturday’s visitors, Chelmsford, have picked up important points at important times but will still need to pick up a few more points to make themselves safe. They are four points ahead of the Wings but know that a defeat could drag them back into the mix. 

When the two teams met in Essex in January, a game of few chances ended goal-less although Welling almost won it at the end when Maxwell Statham’s thunderbolt rattled the goal frame. Away from home, the Clarets have won four, drawn four, and lost seven.

It has all the makings of another tense afternoon with both teams in need of the points.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.