On Saturday, Welling United visit Billericay Town in a crucial Vanarama National League South fixture.

It’s a battle between the bottom two in the league and could prove pivotal in deciding which team falls through the relegation trap door. Billericay are bottom at present, having collected nineteen points from twenty-seven games whilst the Wings have twenty-five points but have played one game more.

Braintree Town beat Slough Town on Tuesday night to join Bath City and Tonbridge Angels on twenty-eight points, so it is developing into a real dogfight to avoid the one relegation place. 

Last Saturday, Welling were guilty of the old football cliché of ‘grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory’. They had already missed one glorious chance when Dipo Akinyemi put them ahead shortly after half time. They missed two more clear cut openings before Hemel took advantage of poor marking to level from a corner.

Another wonderful opportunity was missed, and Hemel snatched the winner with two minutes remaining when Welling’s marking again went awry.

Having tried to get stability in the team by not bringing in new faces every week, Peter Taylor freshened up the squad and gave two players league debuts against Hemel. Elliott Johnson came in at centre back having spent last season at Concord Rangers.

D’sean Theobalds was the other debutant, making his Welling bow in midfield having started the season at Dartford. Ben Allen also returned and came on as a substitute having left Welling earlier in the season to join Concord.

When Welling hosted Billericay back in October they claimed all three points in a tight game settled by Aaron Barnes’ goal with nine minutes remaining. Saturday’s encounter may be equally tense such is the importance of the three points.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.