Welling entered this match against the bottom club in the National South on the back of 2 straight wins, whilst Hemel Hempstead had lost 0-4 in their last match at home against Oxford City and had only gained 1 point from their 4 previous home games.

Peter Taylor made three changes from the starting XI against Braintree. Kristian Campbell and Che Krabbendan regained their places at the expense of Chi Ezennolim and O’Shane Stewart (who dropped to the bench). New signing Maxwell Statham took the place of Teddy Perkins in the heart of a 3 man central defence. The bench also included Daniel Parish, a winger / forward signed from Wealdstone earlier in the week.

After a quiet start Hemel Hempstead started to control the match, with their main attack being along the left of the Welling defence where both Dylan Pepe and Kristian Campbell struggled to cut out the many diagonal passes towards Jonathan Lacey and Gus Scott-Morriss. Welling were also dispossessed on far too many occasions when playing out of defence, leaving their forwards with little ball.

Alfie Cerruli at the point of the Hemel Hempstead attack was put through on 12 minutes, only to shoot just over the bar. On 20 minutes there was some controversy when the referee awarded an indirect free kick just outside the corner of the 6 yard area when Jack Sims picked up a back pass from Bradley Pearce. The shot was deflected away for one of several corners.

On 28 minutes Hemel Hempstead should have scored. Set free on the left wing Daniel Wishart sent in a perfect cross that Alfie Cerruli met 10 yards out, only for Jack Sims to make a wonderful parried save, then smothered the resultant right foot shot which would otherwise have gone into the net.

The deserved goal for Hemel Hempstead came on 41 minutes. Hemel Hempstead captain, Sam Mentom, had a fierce left foot shot from the edge of the area which Jack Sims saved at the expense of a corner. Taking the corner himself, Sam Mentom found Joash Nembhard near the penalty spot and his bullet header went in to the top corner of the net.

Against the run of play, Welling equalised via a penalty. A rare corner was scuffed in the direction of Olu Durojaiye who was taken out by a Hemel Hempstead defender. Daniel Carr waited for the goalkeeper to commit to diving to the left of the goal and then slotted the ball in the opposite corner.

This gave Welling something to play for, though they were inevitably second best. Their best chance came twenty minutes from time when Dipo Akinyemi, brought on to replace Daniel Carr only two minutes earlier barged his way clear in the penalty area only for the Hemel Hempstead goalkeeper to stop the shot.

The only remaining incident of note was a flare up on 77 minutes which saw O’Shane Stewart of Welling and Daniel Wishart of Hemel Hempstead booked for their part.

Welling United: Sims; Campbell (Parish 68), Pepe, Pearce, Statham, Barnes; Shokumbi, Durojaiye, Krabbendam;  Stevenson (Assidjo 46); Carr (Akinyemi 68).

Unused substitutes: Stewart, Ezennolim

Pictures supplied by Mick / Will Allen