Pre-season friendlies finished for Welling United when they hosted a Millwall eleven.

Although they held a two goal lead at half time, they were forced to settle for a two-all draw as the youthful Millwall team came back strongly.

Defender Logan Dobbs was brought in for his first game in a Welling shirt, having signed on loan from Gillingham until early January.

Raees Bangura-Williams had an early chance for Millwall with a near post header that went wide before Welling’s Ruben Shakpoke tried his luck from long range, but failed to hit the target. Fred Norman, who was announced as having signed for the Wings earlier in the day following a successful trial, made an easy save from Rafiq Lamptey before having to work harder to make an excellent double save from Adam Mayor.

In the thirteenth minute, Welling went ahead. George Evans pressurised Ben Drake into making a hasty pass across the edge of his own penalty area to George Beaumont. He was unable to control it and Shakpoke nicked it away before striking beyond Millwall’s goalkeeper. another George Evans, and into the bottom corner.

Ajay Matthews fired over for the Lions before Evans and Shakpoke almost combined to good effect again when the latter’s close range effort was blocked by the feet of the Lions’ goalkeeper.

Kamarl Grant blasted high and wide for the visitors before Welling doubled their lead. Evans nicked possession from Grant and squared to Shakpoke who fired home.

Feeding on scraps, Alfie Massey and Lamptey both failed to keep efforts down before Matthews had a shot blocked past the post by Luke O’Neill just before half time.

Three minutes before the hour mark, the visitors pulled one back. Benicio Baker broke down the left wing and crossed low for Matthews to force it home at the near post.

Grant launched a shot deep into Danson Park before the Wings’ captain, Jack Paxman, drew a great near post save out of Evans from a wide free kick.

Sheldon Kendall, who had come on as a substitute for Millwall shortly after they had scored, made his presence felt soon after by levelling. A long diagonal cross-field pass picked him out and his first touch put him clear to shoot home.

Play was then broken up by a flurry of substitutions by both sides until Norman was twice called into action in the latter stages, first when making a diving save from a Massey free kick, then when beating out a near post drive by Jaiden Celestine-Charles.

Lee Martin, Welling’s manager, now has eight days to make decisions on the remaining trialists before their first league game at Cheshunt.

Welling United: Norman; Dobbs, O’Neill, Majoyegbe; Trialist A, Penn (Trialist C 85); Trialist B (Andrews 62), Paxman, Sinai (Cundle 52); Shakpoke (T. Leahy 81). Evans (Ufuah 74).

Unused substitutes: Huk, Simmons, Lewis, Dyer.

Goals: Shakpoke (13), (28)

Millwall: Evans, Beaumont, Grant (Trialist A), Mayor, Drake; Lamptey, Massey; B. Baker (Kendall 62), Bangura-Williams (Celestine-Charles 78), Howland; Matthews (F. Baker 75).

Unused substitutes: Whitby, Przewozny, Mansor, Trialist B, Trialist C.

Goals: Matthews (57), Kendall (68)

Referee: Kieran Cox

Assistant Referees: Darren Stock and Ayden Gillespie

Fourth Official: Nick Bone

Pictures supplied by Keith Gillard.