On Saturday, Welling United will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat when they host Hemel Hempstead Town.

After two wins on the bounce, Welling started brightly at Dorking Wanderers but stumbled to defeat. In the early stages, Welling caused Dorking’s goalkeeper to make a string of saves but a defensive lapse proved costly. 

The second half also started with Welling probing but another defensive error allowed one time Wing Jack Barham to double the hosts’ lead and there was no coming back from that.

Saturday’s visitors, Hemel Hempstead Town, will provide another tough challenge for Welling. The Tudors’ had climbed up to second place in the National South League until a combination of three games without a win, including a surprise three-nil defeat at home to Braintree Town, and a couple of postponements, caused them to lose ground.

However, the games that were called off as a result of three of their squad being called up for international duty, means that they have played fewer games than the teams above them and seventh place may be artificially low.

One of the players called up was one of Welling’s squad from last season, Craig Braham-Barrett. There is another former Wing in the Tudor’s squad as Luke Howell played seven games for Welling on loan from Gillingham, fourteen years ago.

In their last outing, Hemel returned to winning ways with a four-one win at Haringey Borough in the F.A. Trophy and their league away record of four away wins and a draw from eight games is decent.

Last year’s corresponding game ended with the spoils shared. Jordan Parkes put the Tudors ahead in the eighth minute with a trade-mark free kick but Brendan Kiernan levelled ten minutes later. Welling then missed some good chances but there was no further scoring.