Like a bear after hibernation, I finally managed to catch-up with this Wings this afternoon as they maintained their nine-match unbeaten run by beating play-off rivals Bath City. It wasn't a vintage performance and Bath City will consider themselves unfortunate not to take a point but Welling dug in, rode their luck at times and snatched the points late on.
The Wings started brightly taking the lead inside five minutes. A back-post corner was knocked down by Danny Mills towards Thierry Audel on the edge of the box and Audel pivoted left in order to swing his right boot and smash the ball high to the keepers' left for the lead. For twenty minutes Welling pressed with Kiernan and McCallum joining Mills and Goldberg in the attack as they sought a second. After that things eased off and Wilks was called on to make a flying save from a Bath shot from distance. Bath finished the half slightly on top and served notice for the second-half.
I ran into an old Charlton friend at the start of the second-half and we had 45 minutes of catching up so I must profess to watching most of the second-half with one eye. The second-half was much shorter on chances and nothing was doing right for Welling on the attack. Kiernan uncharacteristically fluffed a couple of crosses and good opportunities to shoot and the ball wouldn't sit down for Mills or Goldberg. Bath were more than holding their own and trying to create the opening for an equaliser. Welling have 'units' at the back with Mendy, Achaeampong and Audel behind imposing Ijaha in midfield and they are hard to break down. Braham-Barrett keeps things tight at left-back and Wilks has been in fine form behind them all.
Bath did get their reward towards the end after a deep and curling cross was met on the run at the back post and headed home powerfully. From there it felt like the Wings needed to hold on and the game was tight as both sides fought for control. In the final minutes Welling broke and a ball over the top found the lanky Mills who managed to reach it and prod it passed the on-rushing Ryan Clarke in the Bath goal. there was still time for a heart-stopping moment when Wilks came out for a cross and fumbled the ball which was swept goanward by a desperate Bath boot only for it to hit the bar and bounce down and back into Wilks' arms. Welling were unlucky on many occasions earlier in the season so will gladly take this today as bit of a correction. The win keeps them handily placed for a second or third placed finished which will give them a play-off advantage of only having to win two matches and possibly both at home.
The next home game on Good Friday (19th April) is against Chelmsford who are also competing for Welling's play-off spot. Another Wings victory there would probably nail the play-offs.
Charlton, meanwhile, had a fine 2-0 victory against in-form Plymouth Argyle at Home Park. What price an Addicks-Wings promotion play-off double?
The Wings started brightly taking the lead inside five minutes. A back-post corner was knocked down by Danny Mills towards Thierry Audel on the edge of the box and Audel pivoted left in order to swing his right boot and smash the ball high to the keepers' left for the lead. For twenty minutes Welling pressed with Kiernan and McCallum joining Mills and Goldberg in the attack as they sought a second. After that things eased off and Wilks was called on to make a flying save from a Bath shot from distance. Bath finished the half slightly on top and served notice for the second-half.
I ran into an old Charlton friend at the start of the second-half and we had 45 minutes of catching up so I must profess to watching most of the second-half with one eye. The second-half was much shorter on chances and nothing was doing right for Welling on the attack. Kiernan uncharacteristically fluffed a couple of crosses and good opportunities to shoot and the ball wouldn't sit down for Mills or Goldberg. Bath were more than holding their own and trying to create the opening for an equaliser. Welling have 'units' at the back with Mendy, Achaeampong and Audel behind imposing Ijaha in midfield and they are hard to break down. Braham-Barrett keeps things tight at left-back and Wilks has been in fine form behind them all.
Bath did get their reward towards the end after a deep and curling cross was met on the run at the back post and headed home powerfully. From there it felt like the Wings needed to hold on and the game was tight as both sides fought for control. In the final minutes Welling broke and a ball over the top found the lanky Mills who managed to reach it and prod it passed the on-rushing Ryan Clarke in the Bath goal. there was still time for a heart-stopping moment when Wilks came out for a cross and fumbled the ball which was swept goanward by a desperate Bath boot only for it to hit the bar and bounce down and back into Wilks' arms. Welling were unlucky on many occasions earlier in the season so will gladly take this today as bit of a correction. The win keeps them handily placed for a second or third placed finished which will give them a play-off advantage of only having to win two matches and possibly both at home.
The next home game on Good Friday (19th April) is against Chelmsford who are also competing for Welling's play-off spot. Another Wings victory there would probably nail the play-offs.
Charlton, meanwhile, had a fine 2-0 victory against in-form Plymouth Argyle at Home Park. What price an Addicks-Wings promotion play-off double?
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