By Mark Doig at Clarence Park
IT was Welling United who went marching in on Saturday as they soared to the top of the Isthmian League Premier Division after a 3-1 win at St Albans City.
While the Wings’ 100 per cent home league record, including seven clean sheets in their nine games, is the best in all the leagues at their level and above, their results away have been more hit and miss. Manager Ryan Maxwell has demanded better on the road and got just what he wanted at Clarence Park.
The hosts went into the match in sixth place in the table, ten points behind their guests, but with three games in hand. Maxwell knew his team had to be on top of their game from the start.
That they were. Zak O’Keefe headed over from Sam Smith’s corner as Welling started on the front foot. They then went close when a Chris Harris header came back off the post after he had met a cross from Chris Arthur.
They continued to press for an opener. St Albans goalkeeper Sam Donkin was busy while his counterpart, Mackenzie Foley, was untested. Despite that, it took until the 44th minute before the Wings took the lead. Kaan Bennett turned his man in a central position in the St Albans half and raced away before slotting it into the bottom corner from fifteen yards.
Almost immediately, the hosts missed a great chance to equalise when Inih Effiong headed over from Ollie Knight’s free-kick.
Seven minutes after the restart, they did level when Foley was adjudged to have fouled Effiong. Captain Zak Banton stepped up and managed to squeeze his spot-kick into the net despite Foley going the right way.
Although it was back to all square, Welling weren’t deterred and went back ahead just after the hour mark. Smith struck a free-kick and Donkin could only parry it to where Demaray Anyadike, following up, had his effort blocked but Fumnaya Shomotun was first to the rebound to tuck it away gleefully.
Foley was called into action to make a smart save from Remi Sutton’s low volley before Welling added a third. An attack down the right ended when it was knocked out as far as Bennett and though it came at an awkward height, his technique was brilliant as he volleyed it beyond a helpless Donkin.
Two fairly standard saves by Foley, denying Mikey Faulkner and Zak Sowden-Fletcher, followed before the Wings again went very close. Substitute Kevin Rivera struck a shot that came back off the upright and fellow replacement Jamie Reynolds hit the follow-up narrowly past the far post.
Overall, it was a convincing win for the Wings and they will look to further improve their away record when they travel to bottom side Whitehawk on Tuesday (7.45pm).
Welling United: Foley; Otseh-Taiwo, O’Keefe, Majoyegbe, Arthur; Miller-Rodney, Smith (Reynolds 74); Anyadike (Anthony 69), Bennett (Rivera 69), Shomotun (Cooper 78); Harris (Adesanya 90+1).
Subs not used: None.
