After four Vanarama National League South games undefeated Welling United have moved within four points of safety.

On Tuesday evening they entertain promotion chasing Worthing at the J. Hearnden Skip Hire Community Stadium knowing that they face another stern test.

Although only in their second season at step two, the club from Sussex have shown that their ambitions to mix it with the Non-League big guns are realistic. After an impressive first term they sit just one place behind league leaders Yeovil Town and look in good shape to claim home advantage in the play-offs.

They brushed Weymouth aside in Dorset on Saturday with a convincing four-one victory, and have won eight of their last ten league matches, with one draw and one defeat. On the road this season, Worthing have won ten out of sixteen, with one draw.

When Welling visited earlier in the season, there were nineteen minutes left when Ollie Pearce scored from the spot to put the Rebels ahead. Eight minutes later Ricky Aguiar added a second and the contest was all but ended.

It is a very different Welling team now as manager Rod Stringer is overhauling Danny Bloor’s squad and they showed their mettle in coming from behind to claim a point against Tonbridge Angels on Saturday. Having gone in at half time two down, Jason Adigun’s brilliant volley midway through the second period gave them hope and Sonny Fish earned the Wings a share of the spoils with a close range finish in stoppage time.

Last season’s corresponding fixture in Welling against Worthing finished in a four-two win for the visitors. Callum Kealy put Worthing ahead in the fourth minute, however Tyrique Hyde equalised less than a minute later. Lewis White (now of Welling but injured at present) restored the lead for the Rebels and Joe Rye extended their advantage with a close range header.

Ade Azeez ended a pulsating first thirty minutes by pulling one back for the Wings but Kealy’s second goal, just shy of the hour mark, ensured that the three points would be heading south. 

A three-two defeat in the return fixture means that Welling still await their first ever point against Worthing and Stringer knows that there can be no better time to rectify that.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.