There’s a return to Park View Road for Welling United when they host Carshalton Athletic in a floodlight Isthmian League Premier Division encounter.

After five matches without a win, Welling manager Ryan Maxwell knows the importance of the relegation battle with Carshalton. Although the Wings are bottom of the table, they are only seven points behind their Tuesday evening guests and have played two games fewer.

On Saturday, Maxwell’s team visited Chatham Town who were fifth in the table before the start. They went behind in the twenty-eighth minute to a Tope Fadahunsi goal. However, they levelled eight minutes later when Dean Gunner headed home from a corner. Hopes of going in at half time level were dashed when Nile Ranger put the Chats back ahead in stoppage time.

Although Welling created little in the second period, they were still in the game until Reece Butler added Chatham’s third with ten minutes remaining.

There has been a change of management at Carshalton with Peter Adeniyi standing down. There was no new manager bounce for Steven Bates’ first game in the dug-out on Saturday when they lost two-one at home to Ramsgate. Solomon Ogunwomoju put the Rams ahead midway through the first half. Sharon Ifeanyi levelled immediately after the restart but they were only level for three minutes before Ogunwomoju scored what turned out to be the winner.

When the two teams met at the War Memorial Sports Ground at the end of September, Welling fell to defeat. Former Wing Mason Saunders-Henry put the hosts ahead just before half time but Logan Dobbs levelled on the hour mark. Tommy Bradford converted from the spot to win it for Carshalton with fifteen minutes remaining. 

Little can be taken from that match as far as a form guide is concerned as Lekan Majoyegbe is the only Welling starter from that day who remains at the club. Maxwell will be expecting commitment and work-rate, which they always show, plus the creativity required to break down their visitors’ defence.