Taking a break from their Isthmian League Premier Division toils, Welling United travel to Yiewsley on Saturday to play Uxbridge in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round.

In their last outing, on August Bank Holiday Monday, the Wings stumbled to a three-nil defeat at home to Cray Valley PM. It might have been different had Welling converted a penalty at one-nil down just before half time, but they didn’t and fell to their third consecutive home loss.

That followed an excellent two-one win at Chichester two days earlier, and manager Lee Martin will be hoping to take the ability to win away into the cup tie.

Southern League Premier South team, Uxbridge, play at the same Step Three level as the Wings. They are unbeaten in five league matches, although four of them have ended all square. On Monday they travelled to Chertsey Town and went one up through Joe Lawal in the second minute. However, two minutes later the hosts levelled.

Liam Prior-Tuck put them back ahead from the penalty spot in the fifteenth minute before they had Kai Hobbs dismissed twelve minutes later. Chertsey again restored parity two minutes after the break.

Despite being short-handed, the Reds again went ahead through George Moore six minutes later. The hosts then had a player sent off with twenty minutes remaining but it didn’t stop them from claiming a share of the spoils by scoring three minutes later.

Injuries have not helped the Wings but Martin may have a new signing or two to bolster numbers, and will also hope that Luke O’Neill will have recovered from his hamstring injury to add experience to the Welling back line.

Image courtesy of Keith Gillard