Following their stunning Vanarama National League South victory at Yeovil Town on Saturday, Welling United have another tough away game to navigate when they visit Hampton and Richmond Borough.

Their sequence of eight league games undefeated ended at Farnborough last week but they bounced back by being the first team to win at Yeovil this season, and in so doing being the only club to beat them home and away.

Anthony Grant scored the only goal of the game but any suggestion that it was a ‘smash and grab’ raid could not be further from the truth. Other than the first ten minutes, and the last five, Welling were the better team and goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook only had one real save to make.

Now, manager Rod Stringer has to prepare them for another hard trip on the road. Hampton are fourth in the league table and are targetting a top three finish for a play-off bye followed by a home tie. On Saturday, they left it very late to win at home to Chippenham Town.

Tom Owen-Evans put the visitors ahead in the ninth minute but Mason Bloomfield levelled just shy of the hour mark. In the sixth minute of stoppage time Alex Gibson-Hammond scored the goal that sealed the win.

Stringer’s first game in charge was against the Beavers when he oversaw a come from behind victory. Dean Inman put the visitors ahead a minute after the break but Adam Roscrow levelled before Welling went down to ten men when Tristan Abrahams was dismissed. They did not sit back, though, and Lachlan Byrd headed home the winner with twenty minutes remaining.

At home, Hampton are strong and have won twelve, drawn three and lost just three. They are on a five match unbeaten run and have won their last three matches, all at home.

Last season’s game at the Beveree Stadium ended in a one-all draw with both teams scoring from the spot. Taylor Maloney converted Welling’s penalty midway through the first half. Tommy Black levelled in similar fashion three minutes after the start of the second half.

Images courtesy of Dave Budden