On Saturday, Welling United entertain Bath City in the Vanarama National League South.

Other than a friendly to look at trialists, and a Kent Senior Cup tie, it will be the Wings’ first match for fifteen days. However, that does not mean that it has been quiet at Park View Road. Manager Rod Stringer has had to trim his squad and Mitchel Bergkamp, Anointed Chukwu, Daniel Jinadu, Garrett Kelly, Paul Osew, Javarn Pitterson and Ben Wells are leaving the club, or have left. That left the group slightly short for their cup tie at Phoenix Sports so goalkeeper James Poole and full back Junior Nkwonta were added.

Following five consecutive defeats, Welling had to play three league games in six days and came out of them unbeaten with a win and two draws, and they will want to build on that.

Their opposition, Bath, have also been going through a tough time and are two places below the Wings with two points fewer. They have reacted by parting company with manager Jerry Gill after seven years at the helm, and have Lee Kendall holding the fort as Caretaker Manager. They have won just one of their last thirteen matches, a one-nil home victory over Salisbury in late November.

As far as Welling’s home form is concerned, they have won four, drawn one and lost five. They have played twenty league games overall, and are eighteenth in the table, six points clear of the drop zone. The Romans away form isn’t great with one win, two draws and six defeats. In August, the two teams met in a controversial match at Twerton Park and Bath claimed all three points through a goal by Scott Wilson.

When Welling hosted Bath in September 2023, Jordan Thomas scored the only goal as the visitors inflicted another defeat on the Wings.

In the last eight league games between the two sides, Welling have only won once so Stringer will be keen to improve that record. Although not many of the team who played in the Kent Senior Cup victory at Phoenix Sports on Tuesday evening are likely to start against Bath, the Wings will want to take the momentum of that, and their three league match unbeaten run into the game.

Images courtesy of Dave Budden