At this time of the season, progress in cup competitions means that games alternate between league matches and knock out ties.
Three consecutive home cup draws have given Welling United an unusual run of four Saturday games at Park View Road. On Saturday, they undertake their second of the run when they entertain Hampton and Richmond Borough in the National League South.
Since they lost to league leaders Wealdstone, despite playing well, Welling have won three league and cup games on the spin and will be looking to continue the run to keep in touch with the play off contenders. In those three games, Bradley Goldberg has scored five times whilst Anthony Cook, Adam Coombes and Danny Waldren have scored two each.
Mark Goldberg’s Welling side have been a bit stretched for personnel at the back recently with Sanchez Ming suspended and Jay Rich-Baghuelou injured. However Dquame Copeland has now returned from his loan spell at Lewes so Goldberg has options.
It has been a tough start for Hampton who were knocked out of the F.A. Cup at Oxford City last Saturday and have lost eight of their twelve league games. However, they have won three of their other four which is only one fewer than Welling.
Their last league game was successful with a one-nil victory at home to Tonbridge Angels to end their run of four successive league defeats and they will be equally keen to win to try and pull away from the bottom places.
Last season’s corresponding fixture will have little bearing on the game this weekend. Darren Wilks is the only Welling player who started that day who will do so in this game. Just Ryan Hill in the current Beavers squad played in the game five months ago.
For the record, Welling cruised to a comfortable four-nil victory in that game. Gavin McCallum opened the scoring in the second minute, and but for his current injury would probably have played on Saturday. Brendan Kiernan made it two with ten minutes remaining in the first half.
Mo Bettamer made it three with twenty minutes remaining and a Rian Bray own goal rounded off the goalscoring.
Picture supplied by Dave Budden.