On Saturday, Welling United host Oxford City in another tough Vanarama National League South fixture.

Last Saturday, Peter Taylor’s Wings claimed a well merited point at Chelmsford City, and their second consecutive away clean sheet. Although the hosts enjoyed the better of the first half other than a couple of shots that flew over the bar early on they did not create too much.

After the break Welling were the better side and could have won it late on when Maxwell Statham let fly with a thunderbolt that crashed back off the bar. 

At the same time, Oxford were on the wrong end of what was probably the shock result of the season so far. They started the day as league leaders and entertained bottom club Billericay Town so very few people would have given the visitors much of a chance. However they claimed a two-one win which pulled them up from the bottom while Oxford lost their place at the top. 

When Welling visited Oxford in October they had a day that they would not want to remember. They conceded in the fourth minute when Joe Iaciofano slotted home but they remained in the game until six minutes into the second half when goalkeeper Tom Smith went down with a season ending shoulder injury. With no substitute keeper on the bench, Kristian Campbell donned the jersey and gloves.

He made a couple of saves and Welling held off Oxford for twenty minutes until Campbell couldn’t hold on to a corner and Elliott Benyon stabbed it home. Harvey Bradbury added a third with five minutes left on the clock.

It was announced this week that Taylor has signed Sam Jackson, a new goalkeeper to give Jack Sims some competition, so should there be a similar incident this time around there may be a specialist on the bench. 

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.