Defeat at Billericay Town confined Welling United to their first double loss of the season.

Earlier in the season, Welling went down three-nil at home to the Blues and in the return fixture the Wings again failed to score whilst conceding twice.

However, it might have been different had Welling had a little more luck early on. Josh Hill met Brendan Kiernan’s corner with a downward header that hit team-mate Bradley Goldberg and went wide.

Danny Waldren headed wide for Billericay from a corner then Kieron Cadogan had a shot deflected into the side netting from a difficult angle.

Adam Coombes then tried his luck with a free kick that Dan Wilks beat out. Ross Lafayette following up had his shot saved and it came out again to Charlie Wassmer but he blasted well over from the edge of the area.

It was not all one way though and Brendan Kiernan was hacked down from behind by Moses Emmanuel as he had options to put players in either side. Emmanuel was cautioned accordingly.

Hill then put himself at risk of being in greater strife. Having already been booked he committed a foul on the edge of the area and the referee appeared to be reaching for his pocket before changing his mind.

Wassmer then made a brilliant challenge just before half time as Danny Mills was pulling the trigger to fire home.

Three minutes after the break, Kieran Cadogan broke the deadlock with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Goldberg was agonisingly close with a first time shot that went just wide and Billericay scored the crucial second soon after. A cross came in from the right and Coombes met it with a powerful header from close range.

The hosts came close again when Wassmer’s effort hit the bar and came down but didn’t cross the line.

Kiernan fired well over before former VCD Athletic wide man Mekhi McLeod was introduced for his Welling debut.

Once more, Kiernan was in the thick of the action with a header from Julian Anau’s cross that brought a save out of Alan Julian before Kiernan hit a free kick of his own over the bar.

Connor Smith should have made it three but he fired over from close range having been set up by Emmanuel.

Anau fired a free kick just wide with Julian rooted to the spot then substitute Jack Barham found Mills whose hooked shot was saved at the near post in the closing minutes.

Billericay Town: Julian, Kizzi, Etefe, Wassmer, Rooney, Howells, Cadogan (Potter 67), Waldren (Smith C 74), Lafayette, Coombes (Clifford 80), Emmanuel. Subs not used: Deering, Smith M.

Welling United: Wilks, Gibbons, Braham-Barrett, Audel, Hill (McLeod 65), Acheampong, Anau, Ijaha, Mills, Goldberg (Barham 67), Kiernan (McCallum 82). Subs not used: Agyemang.

Billericay Town:

Goalscorers: Cadogan (48), Coombes (57)

Yellow cards: Emmanuel

Red cards: None

Welling United:

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Gibbons, Hill, Audel

Red cards: None

Referee: Scott Jackson

Assistants: Mark Chalkley and David Hutton

Attendance: 1,129

Welling star player: David Ijaha

Images courtesy of Dave Budden