Games are coming thick and fast for Welling United and they are back at the J. Hearnden Skip Hire Community Stadium on Saturday when they host Braintree Town.

Their seven match unbeaten Vanarama National League South run has taken them out of the bottom four, something that looked very unlikely a few weeks ago. However, manager Rod Stringer knows that there is still a long way to go if they are to avoid the drop, and there are a lot of tough games to come.

They don’t come much harder than their next match. Their opponents, Braintree, have won their last seven games, conceding just two goals. On Tuesday night they came back from a half time deficit to win three-two at Bath City to leapfrog them into fourth place.

At the same time, Welling were also coming back from a half time one goal deficit. Visitors Truro City deserved to be ahead however, a more determined Wings team came out for the second period and were ahead within five minutes of the restart.

Cameron Green’s free kick may have crossed the line before being cleared out as far as Gene Kennedy, but he he took no chances and slammed it home. Two minutes later, Welling went ahead when Jason Adigun and Reece Grant combined to set up Sonny Fish and he finished for his fourth goal in four games.

Tyler Harvey restored parity but Welling claimed the winner with just under fifteen minutes remaining when Antony Papadopoulos arrived late and hit a sweet shot from twenty yards that flew in off the post.

When Welling visited Braintree in November, they were well beaten. Shaquile Coulthirst, on a season long loan from Ebbsfleet United, put the Iron ahead in the seventh minute and Aaron Blair made it two nine minutes later.

Matthew Ward added a third midway through the first half. Although Dominic Odusanya pulled one back just after half time, Ward made sure of the points with Braintree’s fourth with eight minutes remaining. In a twist of fate, the Essex team recently bought Odusanya from Welling for an undisclosed fee.

Last season’s encounter at Park View Road ended with Braintree completing the double over Welling with a two-nil win. Blair opened the scoring midway through the first half and Baris Altintop ensured that the points would be going back through the Dartford Tunnel with a second goal just after the hour mark.

Stringer will have at least one decision to make with skipper Anthony Grant available again after a one match ban. However, there may be players who need resting after Tuesday’s physical game, while Welling are going trough a two matches per week spell.

Images courtesy of Dave Budden