BY MARK DOIG
Defying the odds, struggling Welling United defeated National League South league leaders Worthing at home to give their faint hopes of survival a welcome boost.
Few would have predicted the result ahead of the encounter. However it was a deserved victory for the Wings, and should they be able to replicate the performance in all of their remaining games, they could yet pull off a great escape.
Brian Statham made three changes to the team that was beaten by Hemel Hempstead Town in midweek. Chiori Johnson’s injury meant that he missed out and Harvey Walker returned and slotted into the left back role. Strikers Scott Kashket and Deon Moore came in, with Josh Redfearn and Zain Walker taking their places on the substitute’s bench.
Although captain Dave Winfield’s suspension had ended, an injury meant that he was unable to return to the starting line-up. Dan Martin was also ruled out through injury, and Garrett Kelly was unavailable due to being on international duty.
In the early stages, the Wings looked the more lively but didn’t create a shooting opportunity until they won a free kick on the quarter of an hour mark. Sahid Kamara tried to catch out goalkeeper Lucas Covolan at the near post but curled it just over.
Jack Spong fired well over from a Worthing free kick before Rhys Lovett made a comfortable save from Ruben Carvalho.
Maxwell Statham picked out Kashket with an excellent cross-field pass, and his trickery made space for him to get a shot away, but although struck cleanly, Covolan was well placed to hold onto the shot.
Liam Nash then burst through and clipped it beyond Lovett. Having overhit it, the Rebels’ striker fell over the prone Welling goalkeeper, but the referee saw nothing untoward.
Ten minutes before half time, Welling went ahead from a training ground routine. Sam Cornish exchanged passes with Kashket before delivering deep to the far post where Gene Kennedy peeled away from his marker to jump unopposed and head home.
After the break, Nash had a shot deflected wide, but Welling were untroubled until Worthing upped the pace in the last twenty minutes. Temu Babalola thought that he had levelled with a shot from twelve yards that was kept out by a stunning low reaction save by Lovett.
Danny Cashman then fired over when well placed before Babalola broke through and was again thwarted by Lovett, who stuck out his left leg to keep it out at the cost of a corner.
The delivery was too deep, and Statham was able to hack it clear as far as Sam Packham on the halfway line. Rather than waiting for him to recycle it, Cornish raced out and pressurised the defender into making a mistake before bursting away down the wing. Cornish then cut in and unselfishly crossed to Kennedy, who had shown the desire to run the length of the pitch to get on the end of it, and he was rewarded with a tap in.
Joel Colbran fired wide of the near post for the Rebels. However, Welling kept their shape and saw out the remaining time to claim the three very much-needed points.
PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN
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